Seeding change

Because rice is central to feeding billions of people – now and in the future – the Philippines-based IRRI team is leveraging data and technology to create rice that delivers higher yields and is more resistant to global warming and other environmental threats.

That team includes Dr. Hei Leung, who is splicing rice chromosomes to create greater diversity, and Dr. Ruaraidh Sackville Hamilton, who is preserving that variety for generations in a highly sophisticated gene bank.

Dr. Michael Thomson: Using rice to secure food for future population growth (2:48)

Will China be the world’s breadbasket of the future?

Until recently, it was inconceivable that the most populous country in the world would become a net food exporter. But according to Thomson Reuters data analysts, that is exactly the prediction over the next decade. China is making a concerted effort to up the stakes in food production, and genetically modified (GM) foods will play a crucial part.

Follow the patents

How do we know? Data analysts recently looked at trends in crop breeding technology, specifically at the countries with the most patent activity and companies or organizations generating the most patent requests in the area of crop breeding technology.

Worldwide crop breeding patents by company and nation

The United States and China alone represent 68% of all of the patent documents associated with crop breeding around the world. These two countries are larger than the closest competing country by at least a factor of five.

It’s notable that while the U.S. has more patent applications over the past 5 years than China, the majority of the U.S. documents are coming from a small collection of private companies, while the Chinese applications are coming from a larger number of academic institutions. Once China’s private industry begins patenting, there is a high likelihood that they will pass the U.S. in the number of crop breeding patent applications produced.

Unsurprisingly, current Chinese filings are primarily related to rice breeding, but they also show more diversification compared to filings in the U.S.

Bottom line? Based on this recent filing data, it’s clear that China has taken a significant interest in crop breeding and is using these innovations to position themselves not only to meet the needs of their own population, but to potentially challenge the U.S. for the title of Breadbasket of the World.