Finding Global Agricultural Solutions from the "Chinese Experience"

On February 3, the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the State Council of China issued the "Opinions on Learning and Applying the Experience of the 'Thousand Villages Demonstration and Ten Thousand Villages Renovation' Project to Effectively Promote the Comprehensive Revitalization of Rural Areas." For 21 consecutive years, since 2004, the No. 1 Central Document has focused on agriculture, rural development, and farmers.This year's No. 1 Central Document draws inspiration from the success of the "Thousand Villages Demonstration and Ten Thousand Villages Renovation" Project, presenting a strategic "roadmap" to vigorously and effectively promote the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas. This has not only attracted significant attention from various sectors within China but also sparked lively discussions among representatives from international organizations and resident diplomats in China.

Food security is a top priority

Ensuring national food security has always been the top priority of governance. In 2023, China achieved "twenty consecutive bumper harvests" in grain production. This year's No. 1 Central Document continues to emphasize the importance of focusing on grain and other key agricultural products.  

"Farmland is the lifeline of agriculture, and robust farmland infrastructure, including water conservancy, forms its foundation. China regards farmland and seeds as the 'two key elements' for sustainable agricultural development, protecting farmland like protecting eyes and its national treasures like pandas," emphasized Xie Jianmin, director of the International Potato Center-China Center for Asia and Pacific (CCCAP).

Nii Quaye-Kumah, Resident Representative and East Asia Regional Director of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in China, attributed the record-high grain production to comprehensive government policies. These include expanding cultivated land, upgrading farmland, enhancing seed varieties, promoting mechanization, and fostering technological innovation in agricultural practices. He stated that China's agricultural accomplishments demonstrate that with robust policy support, adequate investment, and collective efforts from agricultural practitioners, both food security and rural revitalization can be realized.

"For decades, China has transitioned from scarcity to sufficiency and now to quality in food consumption. This historic shift not only benefits China but also significantly contributes to global food security," noted Zhang Zhongjun, Acting Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in China. He highlighted China's agricultural policies and technological input as exemplary, particularly for other developing nations.

Robert Hanson, Minister Counselor for Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in China, stated, "Over the past forty years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, agricultural trade associations, and American farmers have shared products and experiences with their Chinese counterparts to solve agricultural challenges. In the future, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will continue to deepen agricultural cooperation with China to jointly safeguard the food security and prosperity of both nations and the rural communities worldwide."

As China's economy burgeons and income levels rise, there's a notable shift in food consumption patterns. The No. 1 Central Document emphasizes the necessity of adopting a comprehensive approach to agriculture and food, diversifying food sources through multiple channels, and exploring the establishment of a robust food monitoring and statistical system.

"Stable supply of grain, feed, vegetables, meat, and other agricultural products is indispensable for the national economy and food security," said Seo Myeong Cheol, Chief Representative of the Korean Rural Development Administration (RDA) based in Beijing. He stressed the importance of diversifying imports, particularly for feed grains like soybeans and corn, due to their large import volume. He emphasized that relying on imports from a limited number of countries poses risks to food security. "China's policy of diversifying imports is very essential and timely," he said.

The "Thousand Villages Demonstration and Ten Thousand Villages Renovation" Project contributes to building a beautiful countryside

Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2023, the "Thousand Villages Demonstration and Ten Thousand Villages Renovation" Project has created thousands of picturesque villages and benefited the lives of thousands of rural residents. The No. 1 Central Document advocates for the adoption of the development principles, methodologies, and implementation mechanisms from this project to enhance rural industrialization, rural construction, and rural governance nationwide.

"I visited rural areas in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, where the environment is clean and tidy, the people are friendly, traditional culture is well preserved and inherited, villages are vibrant, and the development prospects are broad, which impressed me deeply," said Adhinand Indrapim, Minister Counselor for Agriculture Affairs at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Thailand in China. She emphasized that the construction of beautiful rural areas requires tailored development planning, emphasis on environmental stewardship, support for farmers' entrepreneurship, and respect for and development of local traditional culture.

Seo Myeong Cheol said, "I firmly believe that the 'Thousand Villages Demonstration and Ten Thousand Villages Renovation' project would serve as a beacon for other regions, both within China and abroad." Recognizing farmers as the source of vitality in rural areas, he underscored their pivotal role in agricultural production, traditional culture preservation and inheritance. He emphasized the necessity of improving farmers' income and well-being. "While agricultural production can be improved to some extent through mechanization and automation, once the vitality of rural areas is eroded, it is difficult to restore and could jeopardize the entire agricultural ecosystem," he said.

"IFAD's projects in China are usually located in remote rural areas across the central and western regions, mainly focusing on investing in small and mid-sized farmers, helping newly lifted-out-of-poverty households increase their income to avoid falling back into poverty, and fortifying their resilience against natural calamities," said Nii Quaye-Kumah. "We also establish entrepreneurship funds in our projects to provide incentives and support for small-scale agricultural enterprises and entrepreneurs, particularly youth and women, encouraging young people to start business in rural areas."

The Belt and Road Initiative advances agricultural cooperation

The year 2023 marks the tenth anniversary of the proposal of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Agriculture has always been a key area of cooperation within the BRI, and this year's No. 1 Central Document explicitly underscores the need to deepen agricultural cooperation within the initiative.  

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) stands as one of the earliest international organizations to lend it support to the BRI. Zhang Zhongjun stated that FAO is willing to work with China and other participating countries to explore new agricultural development practices through policy dialogues and knowledge sharing. The organization aims to facilitate technology exchange and capacity building, thereby elevating the agricultural technology prowess and production efficiency of all participating countries. Furthermore, FAO seeks to engage in collaborative research to address the ramifications of climate change on agriculture and advocate for sustainable agricultural technologies and practices.  

"The BRI is a pivotal vehicle for realizing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and bolstering the resilience of the global food system," said Nii Quaye-Kumah. "IFAD's vision is highly aligned with China's pursuit, and we eagerly anticipate collaborating with China to share Chinese experiences in South-South cooperation and bolster agricultural development in more countries."

"The CCCAP actively participates in the BRI proposed by China, cooperating with countries along the route including Vietnam, Georgia, and various African regions to exchange germplasm resources, jointly train scientific and technological talent, collaborate on research topics, and actively promote the development of the potato industry in participating countries," said Xie Jianmin, representing the CCCAP. 

"I find China's agricultural cooperation in Central Asia and Africa through the BRI very impressive. They engage with local farmers to cultivate crops, offer tailored technical support, expand the supply chain, and nurture adaptable production models," remarked Seo Myeong Cheol. "I look forward to the forthcoming decade of agricultural trade and technological cooperation between South Korea and China within the BRI, grounded in mutual trust," said Seo Myeong Cheol.

Looking ahead to the next decade of the BRI, Adhinand Indrapim told reporters, "We are optimistic about the prospects for agricultural collaboration between Thailand and China. We will make good use of the Belt and Road platform to deepen our collaboration in areas such as technical research, trade investment, and capacity building, to jointly address challenges, foster sustainable agricultural development, and contribute to the global agricultural prosperity."

（圖片來源于網絡）