On October 16, 2023, we mark the 44th World Food Day. In a recent event held to launch the 2024 World Food Day and the National Food Safety Awareness Week, Liu Huanxin, the Director of the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, emphasized the need to enhance the food reserve system. He highlighted the importance of safeguarding the country’s food supply, reinforcing the role of grain reserves as a stabilizing force.
“Food security is of paramount importance to the nation,” Liu stated. He went on to mention the implementation of the Food Security Guarantee Law, which took effect on June 1, 2023. This law enshrines key principles and institutional frameworks essential for the nation’s food security strategy, addressing aspects such as farmland preservation and the processes of production, storage, distribution, processing, emergency response, and conservation.
As we observe World Food Day this year, the theme for the accompanying promotional week in China is “Strengthening Rule of Law, Ensuring Supply, Protecting Grain Security.”
Looking ahead, Liu outlined that China will leverage the power of the law to fortify national food security. He stressed the need for shared responsibility between government and party officials in ensuring food safety. Key agricultural regions must prioritize maintaining arable land and production levels. Liu also reiterated the importance of perfecting the food reserve system, emphasizing the critical role it plays in risk mitigation.
Furthermore, Liu spoke about optimizing food markets and circulation. He called for advancing high-quality grain projects, enhancing coordination in production, procurement, storage, and distribution, and improving controls to keep food prices within reasonable limits. Liu emphasized the importance of establishing a robust emergency food security framework, advocating for the construction of emergency response centers at various administrative levels, and enhancing the storage, transportation, processing, and supply networks for food security.
Lastly, he highlighted the need for initiatives aimed at reducing food waste and promoting conservation. By adopting green, low-temperature storage techniques and moderate processing of grains and oils, along with implementing the National Whole Grain Action Plan, the goal is to foster a societal culture that values food and actively combats waste.
