By Zhang Yunhua, Han Yang & Ning Xia, Research Department of Rural Economy, DRC

Research Report, No.276, 2020 (Total 6020) 2020-11-20

Abstract: Agricultural biotechnology is vital for agricultural development. In recent years, the general level of agricultural biotechnology progress at home has rapidly improved and in this regard China has gradually bridged the gap compared with that of major economies. For instance, China has greatly increased the number of agricultural biotechnology patent applications and has moved from the ranks of late starters to the ranks of front runners in the world. The breeding technology like traditional hybrid rice now enjoy international comparative advantages, and industries such as biological breeding and biological pesticide have gradually become integrated with the international market. However, agricultural biotechnology research and development and application in China still face some choking points and the momentum to maintain international comparative advantage remains to be enhanced. In the future, based on the home market, agricultural biotechnology needs to expand its overseas presence and form a “dual circulation” development pattern with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other in terms of agricultural biotechnology and industry. We need to constantly improve research and development capacity and industrial advantages. We need to seize new heights in the field of agricultural biotechnology such as genetic editing, and amplify China’s voices on the international arena relating to industrial technology. We need to guide the integrated development of agricultural biotechnology industry to form joint force to participate in international competition. We need to promote international technology exchanges and cooperation with a more open attitude and realize the global allocation of technological resources. We need to accelerate technology transformation application and iterative innovation and strive for a leading position in technology.

Keywords: agricultural biotechnology, gene editing, biological breeding, industry, development trend