Critical Challenges in Food Security in China and the related Policy Responses: An Analysis of the Law on Ensuring Food Security 2024

This thesis examines food security in China by conducting a thorough analysis of the Law on Ensuring Food Security (中华人民共和国粮食安全保障法 – Zhonghua renmingongheguo liangshi anquan baozhangfa), which took effect on June 1, 2024. The objective of this research is to critically examine the challenges to Chinese food security and the related political and legislative responses, with reference to this new legislation. This new legislation marks a transition from a defensive and reactive approach to a proactive and systemic strategy in the management of national food security. The methodological approach adopted is multidisciplinary in nature, integrating tools from the fields of comparative law, public policy analysis, and applied linguistics. A particularly salient aspect of this analysis involves the terminological examination of the concepts of 粮食 (liangshi) and 食品 (shipin), which underscores the profound interconnection between the Chinese conception of food security and its strong emphasis on grain security. The study pinpoints five pivotal elements that precipitated the enactment of the 2024 legislation: reliance on food imports, the inadequacy of prior agricultural policies, shifts in demographics marked by an aging agricultural population and rapid urbanization, the progressive degradation of natural resources (with only 9% of arable land and 6% of water resources available), and climate change imperiling agricultural yields. The analysis delineated the manner wherein the People's Republic of China have embarked on an integrated approach, which integrates national self-sufficiency with the diversification of external supply sources, structured around four strategic axes: the augmentation of self-sufficiency in fundamental basic commodities (with the objective of maintaining a self-sufficiency rate of over 95% for major cereals); the preservation of agricultural resources through the establishment of “red lines”; the fortification of storage and distribution infrastructure; and the advancement of technology through digital and intelligent agricultural initiatives. On the global stage, the strategy under review is currently being cultivated through various bilateral agreements with nations, including the European Union, and particularly Italy. Additionally, strategic partnerships are being forged with Russia, Ukraine, and Brazil, while cooperation programs are being established with developing countries. The findings of the study indicate that the 2024 Law signifies a substantial progression from the preceding regulatory framework, by virtue of its introduction of an integrated approach that encompasses the entire agri-food chain. Moreover, the Law explicitly incorporates food security into the overarching national security strategy. The enforcement of the law in 2025 has precipitated the formulation of specific action plans for digital transformation, waste reduction, and infrastructure enhancement, with demonstrable outcomes in the construction of over one billion mu of high-standard agricultural land. However, the analysis underscores persistent structural impediments that could undermine the legislation's efficacy, including the fragmentation of the production structure, financial constraints, the demographic crisis in the agricultural sector, strategic reliance on imports of soybeans and feed grains, and environmental and climate pressures. The research suggests that the efficacy of the strategy delineated in the law hinges on the government's capacity to integrate technological innovation and institutional reforms, achieving a balance between quantitative objectives and the qualitative sustainability of agricultural practices.