When China's National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration (NFSRA) said the country has ensured food security for its 1.4 billion population over the past five years, it also highlighted the broader significance of this achievement for global food security.
At a press conference held in Beijing on Tuesday, Liu Huanxin, the NFSRA head, provided a set of data bespeaking the nation's sufficient food supplies and stable food market operations during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).
According to the data, China's annual grain output has steadily remained above 650 million tonnes over the past five years. In 2024, its grain output exceeded 700 million tonnes for the first time and per capita grain possession reached 500 kilograms, higher than the internationally recognized food security line of 400 kilograms per capita.
While speaking about these achievements, Liu said China has achieved basic self-sufficiency in grains and absolute security in staple food.
These achievements have been underpinned by China's rigid policy of ensuring the total area of its farmland does not fall below the red line of 1.8 billion mu (120 million hectares), its efforts to build high-standard farmlands, and the adoption of advanced agricultural technologies.
According to China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, at present, over 66.7 million hectares of high-standard farmland have been built in China. Meanwhile, machinery penetration rate in agricultural production has surpassed 75 percent, 13 percentage points higher compared to the level 10 years ago.
Qian Yi, deputy head of the NFSRA, said that new technologies have played a major role in advancing the high-quality development of China's food supply chain. For instance, the country now ranks among nations with the most advanced grain storage technologies.
"Through unremitting efforts, China, with only nine percent of the world's arable land and six percent of its fresh water resources, has fed nearly one-fifth of the world's population. This in itself is a huge contribution to global food security," Liu said.
Beyond its domestic achievements, China has actively sought to deepen international cooperation in food and agriculture, playing a key role in advancing the global food industry and safeguarding food security worldwide, the official said. This effort is reflected in the country's initiatives to share agricultural expertise with other developing nations, including those in Africa, through technology exchanges, joint research and training programs, and active participation in global food governance.
Agriculture features as an important aspect of cooperation in the 10 partnership actions announced by China last year to deepen China-Africa cooperation.
Under the partnership action for agriculture and livelihoods, China pledged last year to provide Africa with 1 billion yuan (about 141 million U.S. dollars) in emergency food assistance, develop 100,000 mu of standardized agricultural demonstration areas, send 500 agricultural experts, and establish a China-Africa agricultural science and technology innovation alliance.
At an agricultural cooperation conference on Monday in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province, attended by government officials, experts and business representatives from China and ASEAN, the Chinese government said it is willing to share experience, technologies and development opportunities with ASEAN to promote greener, smarter and more stable agricultural development in the region.
With World Food Day observed annually on Oct. 16 approaching, awareness of global food insecurity and malnutrition has been steadily rising. According to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 673 million people still face hunger worldwide, while 2.3 billion experience food insecurity.
During an exhibition event which opened recently in Rome in celebration of eight decades of international cooperation in fighting hunger and transforming agrifood systems, Chikelu Mba, deputy director of FAO's Plant Production and Protection Division, underscored the need for stronger global partnerships to make agricultural innovation accessible to all.
"Just 40 years ago, China faced food insecurity and malnutrition," Mba said. "Its success in lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and hunger is a valid example that can be replicated through South-South and triangular cooperation."
During the G20 agriculture ministers' meeting held last month in Cape Town, South Africa, the Chinese government had called on parties to increase financial, technological and market support for developing countries, reduce restrictions on high-tech exchanges, and promote the digitalized and smart development in the agricultural industry.
