China's Grand Plan For Food Self-Sufficiency

(MENAFN- Asia Times) As global food security becomes an increasingly pressing concern, China's strategies to achieve agricultural self-sufficiency by 2025 are pivotal for both domestic stability and the broader global food landscape.

While China remains the world's largest food producer and exporter, with the largest food reserve system , Beijing remains vigilant about the long-term stability of its food supply.

To ensure self-reliance in agricultural production, Beijing continues to prioritize measures aimed at reducing dependency on external sources while also boosting local production and securing overseas agricultural investments.

Agriculture, the backbone of China's economy, is undergoing a crucial transformation. The country is shifting from a“big country with small farmers” to a“big and strong agricultural nation.”

With over 1.4 billion people to feed, China's approach to this challenge-amid rising geopolitical tensions, shifting trade relations and environmental pressures-will be decisive in determining its ability to sustain a secure food supply and maintain its strategic position on the world stage.

In recent years, China has intensified its efforts to ensure a reliable and sustainable food supply, recognizing the urgency of safeguarding the nation's agricultural future in a fragile geopolitical climate.

As Chinese President Xi Jinping has declared ,“The food of the Chinese people must be made by and remain in the hands of the Chinese.” Xi and China's policymakers have consistently placed food security at the forefront, recognizing it as a“top national priority” (国之大者) amid an increasingly complex global environment.

Geopolitical and geoeconomic tensions, climate change, trade disruptions, systemic tensions with the United States (US) and an unstable international food market have made resilience in food supply more crucial than ever.

In response, China has elevated food security and food supply resilience to the highest level in terms of political priorities in recent years.

The release of China's 2025“No. 1 Central Document” on February 23 further underscores this commitment to ensuring national food security . The document, an important policy statement from the central government, outlines key national goals.

For 2025, it focuses on rural revitalization, agricultural modernization, and securing the nation's food supply amid domestic and international challenges.

The 2025 blueprint highlights six key areas of focus: ensuring a stable supply of grain and essential agricultural products, consolidating the gains of poverty alleviation, developing local industries, advancing rural construction, improving rural governance, and optimizing resource allocation in rural areas.

This document emphasizes the importance of self-sufficiency and stability in China's food supply, positioning the nation to navigate global uncertainties. Two key priorities for the nation's food security strategy for 2025 include:

Ensuring grain supplies

As the world's largest agricultural producer and importer, China plays a pivotal role in global grain markets, importing over 157 million metric tons of grains and soybeans last year. Grain security remains central to China's food policy, reflecting its crucial role in safeguarding the nation's long-term food supply.

Despite record-high grain production in recent years, China's need to increase output continues to grow largely due to population growth and dietary changes driven by increasing consumption of meat, eggs, and dairy products among China's growing population. With evolving dietary habits, maintaining a stable and reliable grain supply has become even more essential.

Grain production remains a cornerstone of China's food security strategy. The 2025“No.1 Document” outlines a multi-pronged strategy : stabilizing grain planting areas, raising yields, and improving crop quality.

It prioritizes the expansion in production of soybeans and oilseeds (like canola and peanuts) while leveraging biotechnology and targeted subsidies. For instance, pilot loan programs aim to incentivize grain and oilseed production in key regions, alongside inter-provincial coordination to optimize distribution.

At a State Council press conference on February 24, officials reiterated that food security remains a top priority. Han Wenxiu, director of the Central Rural Affairs Office, warned against complacency , stating,“Grain production must be strengthened, not relaxed. Temporary price fluctuations should not blind us to the fact that food security remains fragile.”

To safeguard farmer morale, the central government also plan aims to introduce a policy toolkit that includes minimum purchase rates for rice and wheat, with market support purchases in various provinces (such as Henan, Jiangsu, Heilongjiang, and Anhui), alongside the expansion of grain storage in key provinces.

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