China is playing a positive role in improving the agricultural production and food production capacity of developing countries and has made significant contributions to global food security, Han Changfu, minister of agriculture, said during the recent 37th Food and Agriculture Organization Conference of the United Nations. Han also expressed hope that the international community could work together to cope with the challenges brought by the deterioration of global food security.
The conference was recently held at the Food and Agriculture Organization headquarters in Rome, Italy. Han led a Chinese agricultural delegation to attend the conference and made a speech.
China has sufficient grain stocks
The Chinese government has attached great importance and made great achievements in the development of agriculture and rural construction to benefit farmers. Han said that the development of China's food and agricultural production is very stable. China fed nearly 21 percent of the global population with only less than 9 percent of the world's arable land. Therefore, China has made significant contributions to global food security.
Han pointed out that the income of Chinese peasants increased steadily and their quality of life significantly improved. The rural impoverished population also reduced significantly and the living standards of peasants basically reached the moderately prosperous level.
China suffered severe droughts and floods in 2011, which aroused the international community's concerns about China's grain production. Han stressed that China received a summer grain harvest this year and the summer wheat yield is expected to achieve an increase for eight consecutive years. Meanwhile, China's autumn harvest also has a relatively good foundation. Han also said that currently, China has sufficient grain stocks and adequate market supply, and the grain prices are generally stable.
Han said that China has not only ensured its own grain supply but also made contributions to the global food security.
Han said that China has actively conducted international agricultural cooperation and exchanges, and provided considerable agricultural assistance to relevant developing countries within the framework of South-South cooperation. In addition, it has played an active role in helping other developing countries increase their agricultural production efficiency and capacity.
China has built more then 20 agricultural technology demonstration centers in Asia, Africa, Latin America and other regions, and dispatched more than 1,100 agricultural experts and technicians to other developing countries to help them train agricultural talent. Han said that China will further strengthen agricultural cooperation with other developing countries.
Global food prices have risen sharply since last year, leading to social unrest in certain countries. Since the rising food prices have become more than just an economic issue, Han called for the international community to strengthen cooperation, to increase agricultural investments, to enhance the wide application of advanced agricultural technology, to help developing countries achieve food self-sufficiency, to improve the agricultural trade environment, and to ensure global food security.
Han expressed hope that developed countries will fulfill their obligations to ensuring food security. "Food security is a global problem, and all countries should work together to solve it," he said.
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