China's agricultural opening-up key to enhancing global food security

China's agricultural opening-up can help strengthen global food security by boosting domestic production and building more resilient supply chains while deepening international cooperation, Chinese experts said at a recent conference.

Over 400 experts, scholars and representatives from more than 120 universities and research institutions attended the annual conference and general assembly of the Chinese Society of Foreign Agricultural Economy, held from Tuesday to Wednesday in Chengdu, Sichuan province.

The conference focused on how China's agricultural modernization and international engagement can contribute to global food security as geopolitical tensions, climate change and trade uncertainties put pressure on food systems.

Wu De, president of Sichuan Agricultural University, said agricultural opening-up and food security governance had become increasingly important as uncertainty in the global food system grows.

He called for closer academic exchanges and international cooperation to promote agricultural development and contribute to global food security.

Zhang Haipeng, president of the Chinese Society of Foreign Agricultural Economy, said the country's agricultural sector has become deeply integrated into the global agricultural system.

China should strengthen international comparative research and systematically assess its experience in agricultural and rural development, he said, adding that such efforts could support higher-standard opening-up and improve global food security governance.

Experts at the conference also discussed how China's agricultural experience could provide lessons for developing countries, particularly those in the Global South.

Liao Zujun, vice-president of the Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences, highlighted Sichuan's Tianfu Granary initiative, which seeks to coordinate agricultural production, branding, technological innovation and policy support.

China's experience in protecting farmland, supporting agricultural producers and promoting integration across agricultural industries could provide useful references for countries seeking to raise productivity and improve food security, Liao said.

Li Gucheng, dean of the College of Economics and Management at Huazhong Agricultural University, said China needs a more diversified agricultural operating system as population aging and labor migration reshape the rural workforce.

Smallholders, family farms, cooperatives, leading agricultural enterprises and agricultural service providers should complement one another to ensure farmland is effectively cultivated and agricultural production remains sustainable, he said.

The conference included 20 parallel forums on agricultural trade, digital agriculture, land institutions, rural finance, green development and rural governance.

Participants said China's efforts to balance agricultural opening-up with food security and promote innovation and diverse agricultural operators could offer experience for countries seeking more resilient and sustainable food systems.