China is a very old society. Participants of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) market study tour could appreciate that last week as they visited the areas around Tiananmen Square, walked along the Great Wall and learned about the succession of ancient dynasties that once ruled the vast country.

But as old as the society is, the Iowans’ visit showed clearly that the Chinese people are adopting technology at an amazing rate — in many cases, faster than their counterparts in the United States. That technology adoption could have implications on the types of foods that people in China eat and the products they import from American farmers.

China, as Dave Miller, IFBF international programs...