Keeping the Plate Full

As external uncertainties increase, China places more emphasis on food self-sufficiency

The effects of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, known as the “breadbasket of Europe,” are being felt at the supermarkets. According to the March bulletin of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the food price index has jumped to an all-time high. It is nearly 30 percent above the levels seen at this time last year and well above the 2011 record. The UN agency has warned that global food prices could rise by as much as 20 percent in the wake of the crisis. Global food security therefore has become a major concern.

The stakes are equally high for China, which must feed one-fifth of the world’s population while having just 9 percent of the world’s arable land and 6 percent of the world’s fresh water. Indeed, food security has long been a top priority for the government. The Chinese Government has placed agriculture, rural development, and farmers top on its agenda for 19 years in a row in its “No.1 Central Document,” the year’s foremost policy document released in February. President Xi Jinping always underlines the importance of food security for national growth and the wellbeing of the Chinese people. According to Xi, this is one of the country’s supreme interests and it is imperative to feed the Chinese people with the products of the country’s own agriculture.

A high level of autonomy

“Both Ukraine and Russia are sources of China’s imports of agricultural products and materials for China; however, the impact of their conflict on China’s

Faced with a worldwide supply chain disruption, President Xi stressed the need of stabilizing the agriculture industry and ensuring the country’s food security.