| ID | 076348 |
| Title Proper | International sources of environmental policy change in China |
| Other Title Information | the case of genetically modified food |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Falkner, Robert |
| Publication | 2006. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | China's agricultural biotechnology policy has undergone a profound transformation over the last decade, from a strongly promotional to a more precautionary approach. From the 1980s onwards, China invested heavily in biotechnology development and in the early 1990s emerged as the leading biotech country in the developing world. In the late 1990s, however, it halted the authorization of new genetically modified crops and introduced stringent safety regulations. This paper investigates this policy shift and argues that international factors have played a central role. Two trends, in particular, are identified as key sources of the move towards greater precaution: China's ongoing international socialization, particularly in the context of the international scientific debate on biosafety and the negotiations on a biosafety treaty; and the growing globalization of agriculture and trade, which has exposed China to international competitive forces and trade restrictions in food trade. As the case of genetically modified food in China shows, political integration and economic globalization can work together to promote a strengthening of the domestic environmental policy agenda. |
| `In' analytical Note | Pacific Review Vol. 19, No.4; Dec2006: p473-494 |
| Journal Source | Pacific Review Vol. 19, No.4; Dec2006: p473-494 |
| Key Words | Agricultural Biotechnology ; China ; Economic Globalization ; Environmental Policy ; Genetically Modified Food ; International Socialization ; Trade Policy |