China food security law comes into force, aims for absolute self-sufficiency – MarketScreener
Beijing, June 1 (Reuters) – [New Food Security Law]China’s first food security law, designed to achieve “absolute self-sufficiency” in staple grains, came into effect on Saturday. This move underscores China’s efforts to reduce its dependence on foreign agricultural imports.
Legal Framework for Self-Sufficiency
The law provides a legal foundation for existing directives from the Communist Party aimed at increasing local food production. However, it lacks specific details on its implementation. Key provisions include protecting farmland from being repurposed, preserving germplasm resources, and preventing food wastage.
Urgency and Implementation
The law was enacted just six months after its initial reading, highlighting China’s urgent need to address issues hindering agricultural productivity. Challenges include limited arable land, water scarcity, labor shortages, and insufficient agricultural technology.
The legislation mandates that both central and provincial governments integrate food security into their economic and development plans. This is crucial for a country with a history marked by famine, ensuring that food supply remains a top national priority.
National Food Security Strategy
The Communist Party will lead the implementation of a national food security strategy, emphasizing self-reliance. The strategy includes moderate imports and leveraging scientific and technological advancements to boost production. The law specifies the principle of “storing grain in the ground” and utilizing technology to enhance grain production, aiming for basic self-sufficiency in cereal grains and absolute self-sufficiency in staple grains.
The law also outlines the creation of a national grain emergency plan and a food security monitoring system. Notably, China has expanded its definition of “coarse grains” to include millets and oats, in addition to sorghum, barley, buckwheat, mung beans, and potatoes.
Penalties and International Cooperation
Entities violating the law may face fines ranging from 20,000 yuan to 2 million yuan, while individual offenders could be fined between 20,000 yuan and 200,000 yuan.
Moreover, the law calls for strengthened international food security cooperation and acknowledges the role of global grain trade, though specifics are not provided.
Analyst Insights
Despite its sweeping scope, analysts like Even Pay from Trivium China argue that the law’s vague wording may limit its practical impact on boosting food production. “The food security law enshrines existing practices in law but isn’t set to change anything. Food security was already among the top national priorities, and can’t go any higher,” Pay noted.
This new legislation is a significant step in China’s ongoing efforts to secure its food supply amidst global uncertainties. As the world’s largest agricultural importer, China’s push for self-sufficiency could have far-reaching implications for global food markets and trade dynamics.
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