A farmer drives a self-propelled machine to spray foliar fertilizer on seedlings in Xinyang, Central China's Henan Province on July 19, 2023. At the height of summer, farmers around the country are seizing the time to conduct field management, including pest prevention and fertilization, in a bid to have a good harvest in autumn. Photo: VCG

China has made great contributions to global food security, China's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday, calling for global attention and cooperation on the matter amid a sluggish economic recovery and a convergence of global challenges.

The remarks were made in response to UN Secretary-General António Guterres' statement during the closing session of the UN Food Systems Summit, where he expressed the view that the global food systems are "broken."

"Global food systems are broken - and billions of people are paying the price. More than 780 million people are going hungry while nearly one-third of all food produced is lost or wasted," said Guterres. 

Amid a sluggish world economic recovery and a convergence of global challenges, poverty and hunger persist as pressing issues. The international community must prioritize food security and work together to seek viable remedies through international cooperation, Mao Ning, a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told a regular press conference in Beijing.

China, as the world's leading grain producer, cultivates less than 9 percent of the world's arable land yet contributes approximately one-quarter of global food production, successfully feeding its 1.4 billion population. This feat itself represents a significant contribution to global food security, Mao said.

To address global food security concerns, China has proposed its own approach and taken concrete actions. For instance, the Global Development Initiative prioritizes food security as one of the eight major areas of cooperation. Within the G20 framework, China has introduced the International Food Security Cooperation Initiative. 

Moreover, as the country providing the most financial aid, deploying the highest number of experts and implementing the most projects under the South-South Cooperation framework of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, China has actively collaborated with more than 140 countries and regions in agricultural development. More than 1,000 agricultural technologies have been shared with developing countries, leading to an average increase of 30-60 percent in crop yields in project areas, according to Mao.

China has also helped train more than 14,000 hybrid rice experts for more than 80 developing countries and initiated the construction of 13 agricultural development and poverty alleviation demonstration villages in Africa, effectively assisting developing nations in enhancing their agricultural production and food security.

"Food security is a fundamental issue concerning human survival. China is committed to working with countries around the world to advance the Global Development Initiative, strengthen cooperation in food security and poverty reduction, and contribute more significantly to building a world without hunger or poverty," the official said.

The comments came after the termination of the Black Sea Initiative on July 17. The Black Sea grain deal enabled the "safe export of more than 32 million metric tons of food on more than 1,000 vessels from Ukrainian ports," according to the UN.

According to CNN, wheat futures on the Chicago Board of Trade jumped nearly 3 percent on the day, and corn futures rose nearly 1 percent.

In response, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said China hopes that the Black Sea Grain Initiative will continue to be balanced and fully implemented, noting China has also put forward initiatives for international food security cooperation, and the Chinese side is willing to enhance communication and collaboration with all parties to foster more international consensus and ensure global food security.

Global Times