Country Report

CHINA’S GLOBAL AGRICULTURAL STRATEGIES: THE OUTLOOK ON HOW THE

PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA SAFEGUARD THE COUNTRY’S FOOD
SECURITY
Name: Marmina Grace T. Lambaco
April 2022
Student, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
Subject: POSCI70: Political Economy
Central Mindanao University

Recently the China’s food security is closely linked to their National Security. President

Xi Jinping emphasized the importance of agriculture and food security in his recent declaration

he stated that “Food Security is an important foundation for national security” it was furthered

emphasized by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Mr. Tang Renjian who additionally

highlighted the two key components in achieving integral food security: (1) using seed as a

“computer chips” of agriculture. (2) Cultivated land “as the life blood of agriculture”.

In 1994, Dr. Lester Brown published an article entitled “Who will feed China?”

criticizing China’s increased population and lack of food security strategy. However, China

refuted to Brown’s claim and even issued a grain White Paper which they officially emphasized

that grain self-sufficiency as the foundation of the Country’s food security. Since then, China has

been successful on boosting its domestic grain production. in 2007 China remains as the top

supplier of agricultural goods (USDA,2007) supplying first state country such as US, Japan,

South Korea and even in Russia. In this background the author aims to discuss the policies on the

strategy of China in Safeguarding Food Security. Here the author will discuss related problems

such as the China’s reliance to import, which the author would discuss the country strategies to

debacle these related problems.

To accomplish long term food security goals, the China’s national government

implemented agricultural policies steadily increasing domestic support such as raising the

farmer’s income levels and intervening in the market by providing increasing price support.

These initiative results to a price gap between the domestic and international prices especially in

the agricultural commodity markets. China also demonstrated openness to the world market

(WTO, 2001). This result to a dramatic increase of imports in agricultural commodities, also

PRC took an initiative in accumulation of large stockpiles. In the recent years, the Chinese

Government have been heavily investing to reduce its large stockpiles especially for cotton, and

corn. Targeting on narrowing the price gap between the Country’s domestic and international
market through changing their agricultural policies. In the same year in 2007 the national

government enacted on their new target price policy to be implemented for soybeans product in

the four Northeast Provinces to increase their soybean production. Recently the People’s

Republic of China published a devised plan to safeguard food security in 2020, these includes:

(1) increasing and diversification of food supply, the government planned to increase the

domestic food supply, which both in stockpiles and storage, the government also thrive to

increase the amount of agricultural land. In 1990 China coordinated central state reserves and

local reserves which complement the national government and corporate inventories with each

other. These strategies have marked China’s continuous policies toward safeguarding food

security.

One of the remarkable strategies of China is also their discipline on government officials

by requiring them to take full responsibility in any food security concerns for example in 2015

the national government required the provincial governors to take full and depth responsibility to

the province food production. China also is successful in thriving to research and development

when in comes to food sustainability production such as in investing to agritech and biotech, for

example PRC have invested in R&D by improving seed quality, gene editing and genetically

modified technology for livestock and plants. Alongside with the first strategy of China in food

security in 2020, (2) China would also invest in reducing domestic demand and consumption, the

government have been reducing internal demand by implementing various policies and

campaigns ads, although they are known as having a consecutive bumper harvest, but recently

most of the Chinese leaders had frequently encouraging most of the citizen on the necessity of

preventing food waste, in that manner most of them believed that in this measure it can reduce

the rate of undernourishment, and can also generate an economic gain to retailers and consumers.

Evidence that there is a manifestation of policies preventing foods waste can be seen in

restaurants and canteens display of anti-food waste poster and in support of these campaigns, the

standing committee of National People’s Congress passed a law named as “Anti- Food waste

law” under this law, misleading or inducing excess food ordering could result in a fine up to

10,000 RMB. Mukbang or Binge-eating videos is also prohibited these could lead to a fine up to

100,000 RMB.

Another strategy of China to integrate and strengthen, the food security policy, is by

using a legal mechanism, this strategy is to ensure that the government would provide a healthy
and supportive environment. This is the third tactic of China from 2022 food security policy.

There are guideline that should be focused on preventing the use of non-grain use of arable land

to stabilize the production of grain. Compared to any country, China puts an importance to their

food production.

In conclusion, China’s policy in food security is more integrated than any country, for

example in the third world country such as the Philippines, although the country is known as an

export goods producer primarily in agriculture, however the Philippines contrary to China has

few to little policy and law regarding the country's attempts to safeguard food security. There is

also a little support of the government towards the agriculture such as to farmer and Agri tech.

just like in China countries should invest in Research and Development especially in food

production.
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