Li Xiaoyun: safeguarding national food security is the cornerstone of building a strong agricultural country

2023-04-26

China has entered a new chapter of building a modern socialist country in all respects. In this context, how to consolidate and develop the foundation, respond to the challenges facing the future food security field, and accelerate the construction of an agricultural powerhouse? Recently, Professor Li Xiaoyun from the School of Economics and Management at Huazhong Agricultural University shared what she thought in an interview with China Daily.

Li said that with a large population and continuously improving living standards, China is experiencing a rapid transformation and upgrade in its structural demand for food. However, China is facing bottlenecks such as scarce and unevenly distributed water and land resources, low agricultural production efficiency, and the pressures of abnormal climate change and international environmental instability, which pose enormous challenges to China's food security.

"China is the largest agricultural country, but not the strongest agricultural country. There is not a single strong country in the world that is not an agricultural powerhouse and has the ability to solve its own food problems," said Li. "Ensuring effective supply of grain and important agricultural products is not only the primary task of agricultural modernization but also the foundation of stabilizing social and economic development."

China Daily: As the saying goes, there is no stability without agriculture, and no peace without food for the people. The CPC Central Committee has always regarded solving the problem of food security as a top priority in governing the country. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, what innovative theories has China proposed in the field of food security?

Li: In order to safeguard food security, the Chinese government has put forward a series of innovative theories and practical innovations with significance in food security.

The security of grain is transforming into the security of all food, shifting from a focus on quantity to a "Big Food" perspective that emphasizes quantity, quality, nutrition, diversity, and environmental sustainability. We need to emphasize not only the production and supply capacity of the food system in terms of quantity and quality, but also its systemic supply stability and resilience in response to various risks.

Also, the focus is shifting from the resources and output efficiency of the food system to the process and production methods that are more green, low-carbon, and efficient. In addition, food security emphasizes not only self-sufficiency but also cooperative security. Food security issues are not only economic but also political issues, and there is a need to strengthen awareness of integrating into global food security governance.

China Daily: In order to safeguard food security and better respond to the risks and challenges faced by the food security field in the future, what innovative paths do we have?

Li: To better respond to the risks and challenges in the field of food security, the Chinese government has first innovated in areas such as land use and the development of reserve land resources, giving new meaning to "storing grain in the land and in technology".

For example, land use is shifting from mainly relying on cultivated land resources to relying on national land resources, exploring the potential of forests, rivers, lakes, seas, and facility agriculture.

The development of land reserve resources is shifting from development first and then utilization to selecting suitable crops and utilization methods and developing them while utilizing them.

The main path of promoting good varieties, good practices, and modern agricultural machinery is shifting to relying on technological progress, independently tackling core agricultural technology, developing intelligent and equipment technologies, and promoting green and low-carbon production methods. Agricultural technology development and application are shifting from separation of industry, academia, and research to integration.

Secondly, the government and industry have also focused on promoting the development of food sources from mainly animals and plants to multiple paths, including animals, plants, and microorganisms.

Thirdly, food security cooperation has shifted from utilizing "two resources and two markets" to emphasizing shared security, building infrastructure with developing countries, actively providing technical assistance, and improving the overall food production and supply capacity of the community of common destiny.

Finally, the responsibility for food security, which was primarily the task of agricultural officials, has been shifted to the shoulders of the top leaders of the Party and government, highlighting the foundation and important status of food security.