Agricultural modernization key to food security

Data of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations shows that the global rice price index rose by 2.8 percent month-onmonth in July to 129.7 points, the highest level in nearly 12 years, raising concerns about global food security.

On July 17, Russia announced the termination of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, and on July 20, India announced a ban on exports of rice, except for parboiled rice. In addition, the recurring El Nino phenomenon this year has led to periodic droughts, heavy rains, and flooding that have significantly impacted food production. So how does this wave of rising rice prices affect China, and should we be concerned about China's food security?

It should be noted that food security has always been a key consideration for China's policymakers. China implements a strict arable land protection system, firmly maintaining a redline of 1.8 billion mu (120 million hectares) of arable land to ensure the foundation of food security. So far, a comprehensive grain emergency support system covering storage, transportation, processing, distribution and supply has been established, providing strong support for ensuring national food security.

Furthermore, market-oriented enterprises are playing an active role and have become another important support for food security. According to data previously released by the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, by the end of 2022, there were a total of 6,584 grain emergency processing enterprises, 4,846 emergency storage and transportation enterprises, 3,542 emergency distribution centers, and 56,495 emergency supply points nationwide. The emergency processing capacity can reach 1.64 million tons per day.

China is the world's largest rice-producing country, with rice production consistently exceeding 200 million tons annually, accounting for about 28 percent of the global rice production. China's rice production has typically exceeded its domestic consumption, resulting in ample reserves and a self-sufficiency rate of over 100 percent. Even in the past two years, when China's rice imports have grown considerably, the sources of rice imports have been diverse and relatively stable. Although this year's summer grain production has slightly decreased compared to previous years, it is still at a relatively high level and represents a good harvest season.

However, as officials from the UN FAO have pointed out, the continuous rise in rice prices has brought global food security to a "turning point". In the face of the complex international situation, it is necessary to make every effort to safeguard national food security.

Ensuring a bumper autumn grain harvest this year by effectively responding to agricultural disasters, assisting recovery, and protecting food security is currently a top priority. In the long run, it is also necessary to continuously strengthen the competitiveness of the agricultural industry. Ultimately, the competition in food production is a competition within the modern agricultural industry. This requires joint efforts from academia and the industry to strengthen innovation, break through technological barriers and improve the level of original innovation.