China's food security foundation further enhanced: report

BEIJING, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- China's food security foundation has been further consolidated since the country's food security law took effect, according to a law enforcement inspection report submitted to the 25th session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee on Tuesday.

A harvester works at a paddy field in Kaifeng, central China's Henan Province, Oct. 22, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)

The report, from an inspection team of the NPC Standing Committee, said the State Council, government departments and localities have implemented the law's requirements and used legal means to strengthen the country's food security defenses.

Efforts include implementing the system of shared responsibility between Party and government leaders, strictly protecting the red line of arable land and improving its quality, bolstering reserve and circulation management, and improving supporting regulations and the regulatory system.

The report also noted that China still faces risks and challenges in safeguarding food security amid a complex international environment and challenging domestic tasks, and that shortcomings remain in the law's implementation.

It called for strictly enforcing legal provisions, systematically optimizing food-related policies, consolidating the foundation of arable land for grain production, improving mechanisms for guaranteeing grain-growing returns, strengthening the role of scientific and technological innovation, and addressing weaknesses in grain circulation and emergency response.

Food security has long been an important priority for China, which feeds nearly one-fifth of the world's population with less than 9 percent of the world's arable land.

Official data show that the country's grain output has hit new highs on an already elevated base, rising above 700 million tonnes for two consecutive years after years of holding steady at more than 650 million tonnes.

Per capita grain availability exceeded 500 kilograms in 2025, featuring basic self-sufficiency in grains and absolute security in staple foods. Soybean output reached 20.91 million tonnes last year, remaining above 20 million tonnes for four successive years.