Why China’s next 5-year plan will double down on food security

As China drafts its 15th five-year plan – the next entry in a line of expansive blueprints that have set the tone for the country’s development over more than seven decades – we examine how these documents inform and reflect high-level policy priorities, what to expect in the coming iteration and why food security is set to remain a cornerstone in Beijing’s push for self-reliance.

As officials draft the next five-year plan, analysts said food security will remain a cornerstone in the pursuit of economic resilience.

Despite China’s declining population over the past two years, the need for secure food supplies has only been reinforced by an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape and trade environment, coupled with the mounting impacts of climate change, they noted.

China has stabilised and elevated grain production to record levels over the past five years through heavy investments in agricultural technology and fierce protection of farmland, according to official figures.