The new crown epidemic hits global food security, and the United Nations warns that 690 million people worldwide may face hunger, which will become the worst food crisis in the past 50 years
Agricultural experts: my country's rations have achieved absolute security
Recently, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Development Fund, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Food Program, and the World Health Organization jointly issued a report warning that the new crown pneumonia epidemic may cause the number of people in a state of hunger to reach 690 million. This will be The worst food crisis in the past 50 years. So, is my country facing food security issues, and how to ensure food security in the long run? The Beijing News reporter interviewed members of the Central Agricultural Office, the Rural Revitalization Expert Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Ke Bingsheng, former president of China Agricultural University, and Wan Jianmin, member of the Standing Committee of the 13th CPPCC National Committee and vice president of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (Rice Molecular Genetics And breeding experts) and former director of the International Food Policy Research Institute, Professor Fan Shenggen of China Agricultural University.
COVID-19 makes hunger worse
Beijing News: This year is facing the worst food crisis in the past 50 years. What are the reasons?
Fan Shenggen: Before the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, there were many hungry people in the world. The latest reported figure is 690 million, an increase of 10 million in one year and an increase of nearly 60 million in five years. This shows that there has been an increase in the number of hungry people in the world in the past few years. There are several reasons for this, such as more frequent droughts and floods caused by climate change, wars, and expansion of income inequality-that is, the poor are poorer and the rich are more rich. The new crown epidemic has played an even worse role in hunger.
Beijing News: What is the order in which food waste, social unrest, natural disasters and the new crown epidemic have affected the global situation today?
Fan Shenggen: As far as this year is concerned, the top factor is the new crown epidemic. This not only directly impacted the food production system, but also reduced the income of many people. Even people who are not engaged in agricultural production cannot buy enough food due to the decrease in income. Diseases and insect pests, like African locusts, rank second. , Grass moth, etc.; the third place is the continuous unrest in some countries (regions) that has affected the local agricultural production.
In the long run, climate change ranks first; waste and scarcity of resources (including food) rank second. As the global population continues to increase and land resources continue to decrease, the future agricultural production land, water, and The loss of biodiversity will pose an important threat to food security; the third place is the widening of the income gap. The poor are getting poorer and poorer, and this part of the population is caught in a vicious circle. The last one is the impact of various acute infectious diseases. This year is the new crown virus. Whether similar acute infectious diseases will occur again in the future is uncertain.
Beijing News: How long will this situation last this year?
Fan Shenggen: It is difficult to say. It may be by the end of this year or next year. It mainly depends on whether the vaccine can be launched as soon as possible and the effectiveness of the vaccine, that is, whether the further spread of the epidemic can be quickly controlled. If the vaccine can be used in large quantities in the next 6 months, the food security problem will not worsen.
In the long run, we also need to increase investment in scientific research and make good use of resources to produce more and better food. At the same time, it is necessary to reduce food waste and reduce losses. One third of the world's food is wasted. If we reduce food waste by half, the global food security problem can be effectively alleviated on a large scale. The construction and improvement of the social security system is also crucial, so that the vulnerable groups can still get nutritious and healthy food and basic living security even when they are under impact.
In addition, maintaining the smooth flow of market trade is also very important. Not every country (region) can produce the food that the local needs, so that all localities can achieve their needs through market transactions.
Pressures for food security still exist
Beijing News: What impact will the new crown pneumonia epidemic, floods, droughts and other factors have on China's food security?
Ke Bingsheng: The new crown epidemic is a new challenge that has never occurred before. It has a greater impact on some industries, such as manufacturing, tourism, and catering, but it has no prominent impact on food security. Domestic food production has basically not been affected, and food imports are currently not affected much.
As for the impact of floods and droughts, there will certainly be, but they will not be significant. my country has a vast territory and various disasters occur every year. Over the past 40 years of reform and opening up, there have been a number of particularly obvious floods and droughts, but there has never been a food security problem.
Wan Jianmin: my country's food security issue still requires great attention, and it has not yet reached the level of peace of mind. With the continuous improvement of the people's living standards in our country, the demand for food is also increasing, especially our demand for animal protein has increased more rapidly. The total amount of food required continues to rise, and pressure on food security still exists. Therefore, we must not relax the string of grain production.
Beijing News: Judging from the current global epidemic situation, are my country's food imports affected?
Ke Bingsheng: In terms of food rations, my country has achieved absolute security. Compared with the beginning of reform and opening up, my country's per capita food production level has increased by about half. The millions of tons of rice and wheat imported by my country each year are mainly modified varieties, not insufficient domestic production. The current and future demand for imported grain in my country is mainly concentrated in livestock and poultry feed, including soybean (soybean meal) and corn sorghum. In short, in a fairly long period of time, the amount of imported food has no effect on my country's food security.
Beijing News: From the perspective of food security, what are the main functions of imported food? For a populous country like China, how much of this supply method is appropriate?
Ke Bingsheng: The rice and wheat produced in our country are not only sufficient to meet the consumption of rations, but there are tens of millions of tons of surplus every year, which are used as feed grains. Imported grain is mainly to meet feed demand, but also to adjust some grain varieties (such as Thai fragrant rice, Canadian strong gluten wheat, etc.). As for the number of imports, it depends on the size of my country’s domestic population and per capita consumption demand. Generally speaking, it will continue to increase.
Protect farmers' enthusiasm for growing grain, "having grain in the ground"
Beijing News: What are the main challenges facing my country's current grain growing?
Wan Jianmin: The main challenge is the contradiction between the rigid demand for grain and the enthusiasm of farmers to grow grain and the benefits of growing grain. We have the ability to grow grain, but how to make farmers have the enthusiasm to grow grain is a problem that needs to be addressed.
Ke Bingsheng: From a short-term point of view, the problem of food production is mainly a problem of market prices. If the market price is high, the farmers' enthusiasm for growing grain will increase, the grain production area will expand, various inputs and management will be more in place, and the total grain output will be higher. From a long-term perspective, the main problem is production capacity, which is determined by two factors, land area and yield. The task of protecting agricultural land, especially cultivated land, is very difficult.
Beijing News: In the process of industrialization and urbanization, what is the key to the protection of cultivated land red lines?
Wan Jianmin: The most important way is to increase the output per unit area, which requires technology. Improving the science and technology of growing grain will play a greater role in future food security.
Ke Bingsheng: To resolve this contradiction, in addition to strictly implementing the current laws and regulations on protecting cultivated land, the key is to improve the efficiency of constructive land, especially residential land. At the same time, we must make good use of non-arable land resources and broaden the source of construction land. For example, the reform experiment of "sloping villages and towns" in Zhejiang Province is an innovative and effective method that not only meets the needs of construction land, but also protects cultivated land and protects the ecological environment.
Beijing News: Academician Wan is an expert in rice research. How much room do you think China's rice yield per mu can be improved?
Wan Jianmin: At present, my country's per mu yield is 450 kg-470 kg, and it is completely possible to increase the mu yield to 500 kg-550 kg. To achieve this goal, on the one hand, it is necessary to further strengthen the cultivation of good varieties, on the other hand, to promote high-yield cultivation systems. We have 450 million mu of rice fields. If one mu of land increases the yield by 100 jin, it will increase 45 billion jin of rice.
Beijing News: Any suggestions for ensuring my country's food security?
Wan Jianmin: I think the only way is to strengthen agricultural science and technology research and increase yield per mu.
Ke Bingsheng: We must work hard to do a good job in the two tasks of "hiding grain in the ground" and "having grain in technology". At the same time, the national finance needs to continue to increase investment.
The most serious waste in catering consumption
Beijing News: Food waste is also an important part of food security. How has the public’s wasteful behavior changed over the years?
Ke Bingsheng: Over the years, food waste in my country has been greatly reduced. However, new problems have also begun to emerge. For example, the rise of takeaway food has a tendency to increase food waste. During the take-out delivery process, the quality of the food cannot be guaranteed, or the quantity is too large, which may cause waste.
Wan Jianmin: Generally speaking, there is progress. Compared with foreign countries, especially Japan, our food waste is still quite serious and has not been fundamentally improved. The "CD Action" that we are now advocating was realized in Japan decades ago.
Beijing News: What are the main aspects of my country's food waste?
Wan Jianmin: It is mainly in the catering and consumption link, and the waste in the production and transportation links is not so serious.
Beijing News: What are the main reasons for the phenomenon of wasting food?
Ke Bingsheng: The essence of waste is that the food purchased exceeds the actual needs of the diners. Why this phenomenon occurs is nothing more than subjective intention and objective error. Subjective intention is to buy more deliberately, because there is a sense of face and extravagant comparison. The objective error may be the way of eating at the table, it is not easy to control the number of orders, or the orderer’s estimation of the diners’ food intake, etc.
Wan Jianmin: There is still room for improvement in our education and moral standards; at the same time, my country's food prices are still relatively cheap. China's food prices are still not in line with the increasing pace of national income, and market prices still have room for improvement. From the perspective of food waste, it is worth pondering. In general, if food prices increase, the possibility of waste reduction will be greater. But considering the low-income group, how to increase food prices, how much, do need to be cautious.
Beijing News: How can we curb food waste?
Fan Shenggen: From a technical point of view, don't buy too much when buying, but plan to buy. Order food outside in moderation. Of course, retail industries such as restaurants also need to improve technology, and improved technology applications can also effectively reduce food waste. In addition, the transportation, processing and storage of grain or food need to improve infrastructure conditions and increase efficiency. In short, waste in all links from food production, transportation, storage to consumption on the table needs to be further reduced.
Wan Jianmin: Through publicity and education, let the public consciously form a habit of saving, and create a cultural custom and social atmosphere: pride in frugality and shame in wasting food. In addition, it is economic leverage. Grain prices should still be adjusted appropriately according to market conditions.
Beijing News reporter Xiao Longping