China approved the safety of a gene-edited soybean, its first approval of the technology in a crop, as the country increasingly looks to science to boost food production, Reuters reported.

The soybean, developed by privately owned Shandong Shunfeng Biotechnology Co., Ltd, has two modified genes, significantly raising the level of healthy fat oleic acid in the plant. The safety certificate has been approved for five years from April 21, according to a document published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

China is promoting GMO crops too, starting large-scale trials of GM corn this year.

The Chinese government recently also launched a campaign to reduce soy meal in animal feeds aimed at lowering the dependence on imported soybeans.