National Dialogue on Food Security and Sustainable Development was hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China (MARA) and co-organized by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) in Beijing on April 26th, 2021. Zhang Taolin, Vice Minister of MARA, and Agnes Kalibata, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General of Food Systems Submit, attended and addressed the conference. Professor Tang Huajun, President of CAAS, delivered a keynote speech.

Responding to the call of UN Food Systems Summit, this Dialogue focused on “Promoting Sustainable Development, Safeguarding National Food Security”. Various stakeholders were gathered at this Dialogue meeting to make presentations and join in panel discussions which focused on the five topics including China’s Food System Transformation and Policy Support, Food Production and Sustainable Development, Food Loss and Shock Response, Food Security and Fair Livelihoods of Urban and Rural Residents, and Sustainable Food Consumption. All participants also made extended discussion on formulating the roadmap of food security and sustainable agricultural development in China.

Mr. Zhang noted that China has always insisted on addressing the food issue as the primary task. Relying on our own strength, adequate food and clothing have been obtained and stabilized for 1.4 billion people. China made a positive contribution to alleviating the world’s food supply and demand. Now China has embarked on a new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country. Meanwhile, agricultural and rural work has turned to rural revitalization. Standing at a new historical point, China will use stronger abilities and gather more powerful forces to promote the transformation of the food and agricultural system, consolidate the security level of important agricultural products such as grain, firmly take the initiative in food security, and give priority to the development of agriculture and rural affairs. In addition, taking UN Food Systems Summit as an opportunity, China will improve efficiency, inclusiveness and resilience of the food system, maintain the security and stability of the supply chain, promote food loss reduction, and work with all parties for boosting global food security and sustainable development.

Professor Tang delivered a speech on Sustainable Development Path of China’s Food System Transformation and pointed out that over the past 70 years, China has blazed a path of food security with Chinese characteristics i.e. we continuously increase capacity of food production, enhance the level of sustainable development, and improve the health and nutrition of residents. Through this pathway, complete victory has been obtained in poverty alleviation and remarkable achievements have been made in the development of the food system. However, as China's economy enters the stage of high-quality development, our food system transformation faces challenges, including resource and environmental constraints, climate change, the pressure of small farmers to connect with large market and the stress of food supply. To cope with the challenges of food system transformation, China will unswervingly carry out new development concept, coordinate food security in the concept of the whole food, persist in the vision of the whole nutrition and health, unceasingly strengthen the construction of agricultural scientific and technological innovation capacity, adhere to the road of sustainable development, promote the sharing of the achievement of agricultural development across the society, increase agricultural open cooperation and participate actively in global food security governance. Meanwhile, these China’s actions will make new and greater contributions to promote the global food system for early realization of the UN 2030 goals of sustainable development.

Ms. Kalibata highly praised China for participating actively in UN Food System Summit, and she indicated that as the leader of the world as well as the leader of reform, China should continue to share insights and experience, work with other countries to build a resilient and sustainable food system, and establish new prospects for global food security and sustainable agricultural development.

Sui Pengfei, Director General of Department of International Cooperation of MARA, presided over the opening ceremony. Professor Mei Xurong, Vice President of CAAS, hosted the topic of China’s Food System Transformation and Policy Support, and made the closing remark of the Dialogue. More than 100 representatives from UN systems, national ministries, local governments, research organizations, universities, enterprises, financial institutions and media attended the meeting.

By Zhu Jinjin (zhujinjin@caas.cn)