Officials and experts advocate for organic agriculture to enhance food safety

Experts and agricultural officials have called for stronger farm-to-table management of organic vegetables, including reduced chemical inputs, full-process traceability, and improved cold-chain logistics, as food safety concerns draw renewed public attention.

The issue came into focus after a recent online video alleged that some produce buyers in Kangbao county, Hebei province, had used formaldehyde solutions to preserve Chinese cabbage during transportation, triggering widespread concern over food safety.

"Food safety is not confined to any single link; it runs through the entire process from production to consumption," said Xu Jiuliang, an associate professor at China Agricultural University.

Xu said the core value of organic agriculture does not lie in outperforming conventional farming by every measure, but in using holistic management to reduce chemical inputs and the risks of pesticide exposure while promoting soil health, ecological protection, and green consumption.

He made the remarks at the 2026 Organic Vegetable Development Conference, held from Friday to Sunday in Dali Bai autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province. The event was co-hosted by the China Vegetable Association and the Erhai Lake Basin Agricultural Green Development Research Institute.

Ke Bin, an inspector at the Yunnan Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, said ecological cultivation alone is not enough to guarantee the safety and quality of organic vegetables. He called for full-process traceability and effective cold-chain logistics alongside ecological farming to ensure produce reaches consumers safely and in good condition.

Industry representatives also highlighted the need to make organic farming economically viable for producers and consumers.

According to Yunnan Nature Star Agricultural Technology, the long-term development of organic agriculture requires standardized production systems and workable order-based models to lower costs and improve quality, allowing farmers to make profits while keeping products affordable for consumers.

Zhang Fusuo, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said new forms of ecological agriculture should pursue high yields and quality while remaining green and organic, without sacrificing farmers' incomes.