Sun Feb 16 09:52:39 UTC 2025: **China Invests in Biotech to Boost Food Security**
**Beijing, February 16, 2025** – China has unveiled a five-year plan to revolutionize its agricultural sector through biotechnology, aiming to reduce reliance on foreign imports and bolster food security. The plan, released Friday, focuses on developing new high-yield and disease-resistant varieties of wheat, corn, soybeans, and rapeseed using gene-editing technology. The initiative prioritizes creating independent and controllable seed sources for key crops, addressing concerns surrounding a potential trade war and reliance on imports, particularly from the United States. In addition to crop improvements, the plan includes breeding programs for livestock, targeting higher-performing pigs and disease-resistant chickens. The ambitious project underscores China’s commitment to technological advancements in agriculture to ensure self-sufficiency in food production.