Explainer | China nurtures indigenous seed industry to reduce import reliance, secure food supply
- China’s seed industry, regarded as a major priority in guaranteeing its food security, was recently inspected by the country’s top legislators
- Lawmakers issued report evaluating the state of the sector and summarising areas where more resources and attention are needed
Beijing’s pledge to keep China’s “rice bowl” firmly in the hands of its people – a common refrain from President Xi Jinping – has been backed with numerous actions, including the protection of arable land, expansion of farming acreage and more widespread use of technology.
After an eight-month round of inspections organised by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the country’s highest legislative body, several areas of focus have been enumerated for the sector.
+These are the issues they raised, as well as the overall state of development for China’s indigenous seeds.
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Why is the Chinese government so concerned about food security?
Why is the Seed Law important?
Chinese leaders regularly refer to seeds as the “chips” of agriculture – a form of intellectual property (IP) that is also essential for preserving the food security of 1.4 billion people.