Zhong Zhen
He is a researcher at the National Institute of Development and Strategy, Renmin University of Chinese
Vice Dean and Professor of the College of Agriculture and Rural Development
Summary of content
At present, mainland agriculture is in a shift period of improving quality and efficiency, and it is urgent to be led by the concept of agriculture with a larger pattern, stronger systematization, and more complete methods and means. At present, the theoretical research on agricultural modernization has begun to take shape, the pattern of agricultural diversification has been initially formed, and the function of agricultural diversification has achieved initial results, but the construction of independent knowledge system of agricultural modernization needs to be strengthened, the coordination mechanism of the three systems of agricultural production, operation and industry needs to be improved, and the comprehensive effect of agricultural production and life ecology needs to be improved. Therefore, it is necessary to face the goal of "five strong" agricultural powers, focus on the five dimensions of food supply diversification, production system diversification, management system diversification, industrial system diversification and benefit system diversification, firmly establish and accelerate the implementation of the concept of large agriculture, and promote the accelerated development of Chinese-style agricultural modernization.
The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed to "establish a big food concept" and "establish a diversified food supply system", and the No. 1 document of the Central Committee in 2024 further requires "establishing a big agriculture concept and a big food concept, expanding food sources through multiple channels, and exploring the construction of a big food monitoring and statistical system". This is a profound judgment and strategic choice made by the mainland's agriculture in the new stage of development, applying the new development concept and building a new development pattern. For thousands of years, agriculture has been an important area that affects China's economy, society, politics and ecology, and even a decisive "chassis" for the country, rather than a simple industry. After the reform and opening up, with the refinement of the division of labor and the deepening of the market, the "industrial" identity of agriculture has been further strengthened. Although the trend of "industrialization" of agriculture has enabled the mainland to make tremendous achievements in the production and supply of grain and important agricultural products, this is not conducive to the development of the mainland's comparative advantages in agriculture that have been formed over a long period of time.
The basic connotation of the concept of big agriculture
In the nineties of the last century, General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward "a path to develop large agriculture" in the book "Get rid of poverty" in the book "Get rid of poverty" in eastern Fujian, and believed that "large agriculture is a three-dimensional agriculture that develops in a multi-functional, open and comprehensive direction." It is different from the traditional, single, flat small-scale agriculture, which is mainly concentrated on arable land management". This is the concept of large-scale agriculture put forward earlier by the party since the beginning of reform and opening up. In 1992, "establishing the concept of large-scale agriculture" was written into the report of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. At that time, the concept of large-scale agriculture was still stuck in a kind of thinking and formulation of developing agriculture. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the concept of large-scale agriculture has gradually penetrated into the field of agricultural practice and agricultural policy research, and has begun to be systematized and ideological. In 2015, the Central Rural Work Conference once again proposed to "establish the concept of big agriculture and big food". On December 28, 2017, General Secretary Xi Jinping further emphasized at the Central Rural Work Conference that "establish a big agriculture and big food concept". Although there is a difference of one word, since then "concept" has been elevated to "thought". The 2022 Central Rural Work Conference emphasized "establishing a big food concept, building a diversified food supply system, and developing food sources through multiple channels". The 2023 Central Rural Work Conference conveyed and learned General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on the "three rural" work, emphasizing that "it is necessary to establish a big agriculture and big food concept, develop agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery simultaneously, and build a diversified food supply system". Document No. 1 of 2024 once again emphasizes the "double view" on the basis of the "big food concept", and proposes to build agriculture into a modern industry. This shows that the concept of big agriculture has become an important part of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and is an important theoretical guide to promote the modernization of Chinese agriculture and accelerate the construction of an agricultural power. This also means that the future development of agriculture on the mainland will certainly move towards a broader field and a more ambitious system. As a new strategic idea for agricultural development, the concept of big agriculture has the following three prominent characteristics.
First, the pattern is larger. The concept of big agriculture regards the productive forces and production relations related to agriculture as a whole. In terms of function, it is not limited to the production and supply of agricultural products, but also attaches more importance to the all-round functions of agriculture in the economy, society, and culture; in terms of contribution, in addition to the basic contribution to the national economy, it also emphasizes its important role in promoting ecological conservation and restoration, leading farmers to increase their income and become rich, improving the livable and workable environment, establishing a new type of urban-rural relationship between industry and agriculture, and enhancing the country's comprehensive international status.
Second, it is more systematic. First of all, the concept of big agriculture makes the relationship between agriculture and secondary and tertiary industries more systematic. In the past, people paid more attention to planting and breeding at the end of agricultural production, but the concept of big agriculture expands agriculture to the whole industry chain, and even integrates with non-agricultural industries, covering various scenarios such as data supply, post-production processing, storage and transportation, new technology development and digital application. Secondly, the industrial system within agriculture is more abundant. In terms of business forms, in addition to agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery, the concept of big agriculture also includes new business forms and business modes that integrate other industries; in terms of business entities, it includes not only small-scale peasant households, but also family farms, cooperatives, collective economic organizations, and other types of new agricultural business entities. Thirdly, the external environmental system of agriculture is more complete. The concept of agriculture organically combines production, life and ecology, considers the domestic and international resource markets as a whole, and comprehensively includes the relevant subjects such as the agriculture-related factor market, the agricultural product market and the government management department.
Third, the methods and means are more complete. The concept of agriculture can integrate more internal and external resources of agriculture, enrich the existing policy toolbox, more effectively promote the coordination and cooperation of forces in land, finance, ecology, science and technology, and social welfare, and give better play to the mainland's unique institutional advantages of "effective market and promising government", and provide a more comprehensive institutional guarantee for agricultural development.
The significance of establishing the concept of large-scale agriculture to accelerate the construction of an agricultural power
Strong supply security, strong scientific and technological equipment, strong management system, strong industrial resilience and strong competitiveness are the goals and visions of the construction of an agricultural power. However, due to the influence of historical and practical factors, the realization of the "top five" goal still faces severe challenges. The establishment of the concept of large-scale agriculture is of great significance for coping with the challenges.
The concept of large-scale agriculture can open up new horizons for the supply of grain and important agricultural products. At present, the consumption structure of mainland residents is changing, the proportion of meat in food consumption is increasing, the proportion of grain consumption is decreasing, and the gap between supply and demand of feed raw materials such as grains and soybeans is further increasing. However, for quite a long time in the past, the focus of ensuring the supply of agricultural products was in the field of grain production, which made the mainland's comprehensive food self-sufficiency level show a downward trend, and the food supply security faced great instability. From the perspective of food self-sufficiency structure, according to the algorithm of "equivalent planting area demand", the mainland has achieved a high level of self-sufficiency in grain, meat, eggs and milk, but the self-sufficiency rate of edible vegetable oil has remained at a low level, and it is difficult to improve. Based on this, establishing the concept of big agriculture, expanding the perspective of production to multiple spaces such as mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes, seagrass and sand, accelerating the comprehensive development of land resources, and building a diversified food production system can more quickly adapt to the changes in residents' consumption structure and ensure food supply.
The concept of big agriculture can create a broader space for promoting the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. The contribution rate of agricultural science and technology progress in the mainland has increased year by year, but the degree of dependence on foreign countries in core technologies is still high, and the application of high-end technology and equipment has been hindered to a certain extent. In addition, the ability to transform innovation achievements into productivity is insufficient, and the conversion rate of agricultural scientific and technological achievements in mainland China is less than 45%, while that in developed countries is generally around 80%. This is related to factors such as the imperfect agricultural technology extension system in the mainland, the lack of market guidance, and the difficulty of the assessment mechanism to effectively measure the innovation results. The establishment of the concept of large agriculture can incorporate the subdivided industries and fields with strong incentives for scientific and technological research and development and good market benefits into the overall strategy of national agricultural development, which is conducive to forcing the market, talent and institutional environment, increasing diversified scientific and technological investment, and promoting the transformation of demand-oriented scientific and technological achievements. At the same time, the concept of agriculture requires the introduction and training of compound talents who are capable and familiar with different formats and models, enhance the ability of agricultural operators to absorb and transform scientific and technological innovation achievements, and promote the improvement of agricultural science and technology support policies and the innovation of agricultural technology promotion system and mechanism.
The concept of agriculture can tap greater potential for the construction of a new management system. Moderate-scale operation is an important way to improve the efficiency of agriculture in mainland China. At present, the dividends of large-scale land have been fully developed, and it is the right time to provide various types of moderate-scale business modes such as large-scale services. The establishment of the concept of large-scale agriculture will inject new guiding ideology into the common development of various modes of operation, such as family management, cooperative management, enterprise management, and collective management. Based on the basic national conditions of "small farmers in a big country", China's agricultural modernization is inseparable from more than 200 million small farmers. At present, the nearly 4 million family farms registered for the record, the 2.216 million farmer cooperatives registered by industry and commerce, the more than 100,000 leading agricultural industrialization enterprises at or above the county level, and more than 960,000 rural collective economic organizations are not closely linked with the interests of small farmers, and the form of linking farmers with farmers is not effective enough. The concept of big agriculture will further break the original industrial boundaries, expand the sources of agricultural investment, gather diversified business forces for more forms of alliance and cooperation, and point out the direction for the development of more inclusive modern agriculture.
The concept of big agriculture can provide more possibilities for enhancing the resilience of the agricultural industry. At present, extreme natural disasters are frequent in China, international trade protectionism and geopolitical risks are intensifying, the market volatility of agriculture-related industries is increasing, and the uncertainty and instability of the "three chains" of industrial chain, supply chain and value chain are increasing, and the resilience of the agricultural industry needs to be further improved. The establishment of the concept of large-scale agriculture is not only conducive to expanding agricultural development to the perspective of the internal structure of agriculture, including agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery and its auxiliary supporting services, but also conducive to placing agriculture in the urban-rural relationship between industry and agriculture with the integration of primary, secondary and tertiary industries, and is also conducive to integrating global agricultural resources and markets into the overall layout of agricultural development on the mainland, which can enhance the resilience of the agricultural industry at multiple levels. In the industrial chain, it emphasizes the improvement of the competitiveness and risk resistance of the agricultural industry chain through the integration of social resources and the strengthening of the collaborative management between the upstream and downstream of the industry and between industries; in the supply chain, it emphasizes the expansion of food sources, the prevention of risks such as nature, market and international trade, and the establishment of a stable production and supply system with sufficient quantity, good quality and strong elasticity supported by the concept of big food; in the value chain, it emphasizes the construction of a diversified management system to serve large-scale, Large-scale data and other forms to consolidate the foundation of agricultural production, optimize the mechanism of linking agriculture with agriculture, and improve the risk response ability of farmers and operators.
The concept of large-scale agriculture can form better countermeasures for enhancing the competitiveness of agricultural products. The competitiveness of the mainland's agricultural products is steadily rising, but the overall international competitiveness is relatively weak, and the development between regions is unbalanced, which is mainly reflected in the comparative advantages of agricultural input-output efficiency, cost-effectiveness, agricultural product quality, market share, and so on. The concept of agriculture provides multi-dimensional development countermeasures for enhancing the comprehensive competitiveness of agriculture. First, we have made faster breakthroughs in the two major issues of cultivated land and seeds. The "bottleneck" factors that constrain agricultural competitiveness are often outside agriculture. The concept of agriculture has enabled the transformation of saline-alkali land, the construction of high-standard farmland, and the protection of black soil to receive greater scientific and technological and policy support, so that the most advanced science and technology are more inclined to the independent research and development of the domestic seed industry. Second, it has more integration capabilities in promoting the improvement of industrial efficiency, so that various elements such as land, labor, capital, and data can play a synergistic effect. The third is to have more mobilization ability in the green and low-carbon development of agriculture, so that the utilization and recycling of resources can be incorporated into the production system, and market players, consumers, and management departments will be considered holistically, so as to promote the formation of a win-win situation of cost saving, quality improvement, and efficiency improvement.
Establish the theoretical and practical basis of the concept of large-scale agriculture
First, the theoretical research on agricultural modernization has begun to take shape, but the construction of its independent knowledge system needs to be strengthened. There have been a lot of studies on the micro mechanism and macro path of agricultural modernization, but under the new world and national conditions and agricultural conditions, the understanding of the connotation and extension of agriculture and the understanding of the positioning of agriculture in building a new type of urban-rural relationship between industry and agriculture and promoting comprehensive rural revitalization are not consistent. In particular, many of the ideas are still "profoundly" continuing the interpretive logic of the Western-style modernization path. This is not consistent with the essence of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and there is also a gap with the practical needs of agriculture and rural areas under the guidance of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important exposition on the "three rural" work. The development of agriculture on the mainland involves a wide range, a large population, a diverse agricultural ecosystem, and complex interests, and the modernization of Chinese agriculture will inevitably call for the establishment of a large agricultural concept. The establishment of the concept of agriculture is bound to be an inherent requirement for promoting Chinese-style agricultural modernization, and it will also be an important theoretical contribution to the development of world agriculture.
Second, the pattern of diversified agricultural development has been initially formed, but the coordination mechanism of the "three systems" of production, operation and industry needs to be improved. Driven by science and technology and reform, the driving force of the mainland's agricultural development has become increasingly diversified. The mode of agricultural production is changing from relying mainly on land and labor factors to relying more on the combination of new factors such as capital and data; the management system is changing from being based on small farmers to the common development of small farmers and family farms, cooperatives, agricultural enterprises, agricultural socialized service organizations, and other multiple subjects; and the industrial system is changing from the traditional production of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery products to new forms and models of agriculture, such as pre-production, production, and post-production socialized services, which are constantly developing and prospering. The diversification of input factors, the diversification of business entities, and the diversification of industrial forms have made the mainland's food supply model change from "asking for food from the land" to a three-dimensional and pluralistic food supply system of "asking for food from mountains, rivers, lakes, seas, forests, fields, grass and sand", and the mode of benefit creation is changing from economic value to economic, social, ecological, and cultural value creation. However, from the existing practice of agricultural diversification, the coordination mechanism of the production system, the management system and the industrial system is not perfect, the connection between the actors, the factor market and the policy system is not smooth, and the mismatch or dislocation of supply and demand between the upstream and downstream occurs from time to time, which is far from the requirements of the construction of an agricultural power and the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside.
Third, the diversified functions of agriculture have achieved initial results, but the comprehensive effect of production and life ecology needs to be improved. The characteristics of agricultural versatility have been gradually recognized by all walks of life, which is also an important cognitive basis for the concept of big agriculture and big food. In practice, in addition to the important function of food supply, agriculture also plays an increasingly important role in promoting social development, maintaining political stability, inheriting history and culture, regulating natural ecology, and realizing the coordinated development of the national economy. In particular, in response to emergencies such as economic crises, natural disasters, and major epidemics, it has played a functional role that the food supply industry cannot assume. This is determined by the positive externalities inherent in agriculture itself. Countries around the world, especially developed countries, have given great financial support to agriculture to play this positive externality. Since the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the mainland has also provided unprecedented policy support for agriculture, but the comprehensive role of agriculture in promoting the ecological quality of production and life of urban and rural residents is still relatively limited. In particular, the improvement of quality in the two dimensions of life and ecology depends on the infrastructure and basic public services that benefit people's livelihood, and the "spillover" effect based on agriculture-related industries and related fields is not obvious. This is also an important reason for the current call for the in-depth implementation of the concept of large-scale agriculture.
Countermeasures and suggestions for promoting the construction of an agricultural power with the concept of large agriculture
Facing the goal of speeding up the construction of an agricultural power, the establishment of the concept of large agriculture is opportune. Based on the current foundation of theoretical research, practical exploration and conceptual cognition in mainland China, this paper puts forward countermeasures and suggestions to accelerate the diversification of the five major systems, so as to better implement the leading role of the concept of big agriculture in the construction of an agricultural power.
(1) Diversification of food systems
On the one hand, it is necessary to coordinate domestic resources to ensure the continuous supply of important agricultural products, especially grain. We should strengthen the protection and rational use of cultivated land, improve the quality and productivity of cultivated land, and increase the self-sufficiency rate of grain and important agricultural products. Deepen the reform of the grain circulation system, optimize the market structure and price mechanism, reduce the circulation cost and loss rate, and improve the circulation efficiency. Establish and improve the grain reserve system and standard system, and strengthen the ability to manage and regulate grain reserves. Focus on the core problems of agriculture in the whole agricultural industry chain, enhance the autonomy of the seed industry, improve the efficiency and quality of food supply, and enhance the international competitiveness of the food industry. Strengthen investment in scientific research for future foods such as soy protein, artificial meat, and microalgae to enhance supply stability.
On the other hand, we will face the international market and enhance the resilience of international agricultural trade. Establish and improve food early warning, storage, regulation and insurance systems, improve the diversified supply capacity of food, and enhance the ability to cope with various risks and shocks that affect food safety. Coordinate domestic and foreign resources, strengthen the coordination and monitoring of domestic and foreign markets, optimize supply chain management, adopt a multi-source import strategy, participate in global agricultural governance, enhance international cooperation and mutual trust, and improve the resilience of international agricultural trade.
(2) Diversification of production system
The first is to develop diversified spaces and create three-dimensional agriculture. We should expand the space for diversified agricultural production such as underground, surface and underwater, and in the air, adjust and optimize the layout of agricultural production, actively develop facility agriculture, Gobi agriculture, desert agriculture, and urban agriculture, so as to achieve three-dimensional development and compound management, and promote the intensive and efficient development of agriculture. The second is to promote green transformation and develop circular agriculture. Transform the traditional production model, continue to implement the action of reducing the amount of pesticides and fertilizers and increasing efficiency, and promote the green production model. Promote the comprehensive utilization of agricultural and rural wastes and by-products of agricultural products, promote agricultural technologies and measures that save resources and make efficient use, such as rational regulation and control of water resource utilization, soil protection and improvement, and promotion of clean energy, so as to comprehensively promote the transformation of high-material input-dependent agricultural growth mode to green and efficient growth mode. The third is to speed up the "machine substitution" and develop smart agriculture. We should increase investment in the research and development and popularization of agricultural science and technology, cultivate a number of new varieties, new technologies, and new equipment with independent intellectual property rights and international competitiveness, and use modern facilities and equipment to support stable and increased agricultural production. Through the full application of modern information technology, the application of artificial intelligence in production management will be strengthened. In particular, we will fully explore the intelligent function of this new element of data, promote intelligent and accurate production, and realize the standardization and traceability of products.
(3) Diversification of the business system
On the one hand, under the situation of small farmers as the basic situation, we should consolidate and improve the basic rural management system, and constantly improve the modern agricultural management system based on rural households and linked by cooperation and alliance. We should pay attention to the key and difficult problems of family management, strengthen the training and guidance of smallholder farmers, and improve their technical and management level. Through the establishment of special training institutions, the development of "science and technology courtyards" and other project activities, the use of network platforms and media to carry out publicity and education, etc., to help small farmers grasp new varieties, new technologies and new models of information, cultivate modern new professional farmers, and promote the organic connection between small farmers and modern agriculture.
On the other hand, we should actively cultivate all kinds of new agricultural business entities. Encourage the development of new agricultural business entities with good economies of scale, high degree of intensification, strong market competitiveness, and experience in modern operation and management. Improve relevant laws, regulations, and policy measures, strengthen services and supervision of all types of entities, and safeguard their lawful rights and interests. Encourage cooperation and exchanges between various subjects, effectively integrate resources, improve production and operation efficiency, form a good industrial operation ecology, and let new business models such as farmers' cooperative associations, agricultural industrialization associations, "three-in-one" agricultural cooperative federations, and agricultural enterprises invested and established by cooperatives continue to emerge.
(4) Diversification of the industrial system
The first is to enrich and optimize traditional advantageous industries. According to the pain points and difficulties of the development of the original industry, we should make up for the shortcomings in a targeted manner, and comprehensively upgrade and transform regional agriculture-led industries such as agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery from the aspects of making high-quality products, increasing output, building brands, and smoothing information, so as to promote their high-quality development in an all-round way. The second is to support the development of new forms of business and new models. Encourage the development of new forms and models of integration such as leisure agriculture and agricultural socialized services. Focusing on the characteristic development of leisure agriculture, we should realize the "succession of agriculture", innovate service methods, and establish an efficient agricultural socialized service system, so as to continuously improve the quality and efficiency of the mainland's agricultural industrial system. The third is to innovate digital business methods. In the past, the agricultural industry could only be operated offline, and the business mode under the guidance of the concept of agriculture should include online digital operation, use digital technology to transform the whole chain of agricultural production and operation, and drive the transformation and upgrading of the agricultural industrial structure. Guide digital technology enterprises and scientific research institutions to go deep into the grassroots of the agricultural industry, and concentrate on tackling key agricultural big data technologies that meet the needs of farmers' production and operation. Increase subsidies for R&D and innovation of agricultural digital technologies, and actively promote the incubation, demonstration, and application of agricultural big data products and application solutions.
(5) Diversification of the benefit system
On the one hand, it is necessary to promote the participation of many parties in the value creation of modern agriculture. We should give full play to the advantages of resource endowments in various regions and strengthen the cultivation and development of industries with agricultural characteristics and advantages. Improve product quality, build brand, and improve the added value and market competitiveness of agricultural products. Coordinate the resources of all parties, introduce external and internal education, and expand and strengthen the economic value of the industry. Encourage the division of labor and cooperation of various business types, links and regional entities, participate in the process of value creation, and jointly expand the "cake" of operation. Coordinate and promote the development of agricultural characteristics, promote the improvement of the quality of relevant agricultural science and technology equipment in various places, and enhance the overall agricultural development strength of the mainland.
On the other hand, it is necessary to promote the sharing of benefits among all parties in modern agriculture. Strengthen the interest linkage mechanism, encourage the integration of vulnerable entities into the whole industry chain through the help model, and improve their modern business philosophy, equipment level and profitability. Integrate and open up resources from all walks of life, encourage all subjects in the industrial chain to achieve resource complementarity and information exchange, and promote the optimal operation efficiency and the effect of benefiting farmers. Coordinate and coordinate policy tools such as land, finance, ecology and social welfare, and give full play to institutional advantages to promote a more equitable distribution of agricultural benefits and share the fruits of development. At the macro level, through large-scale production, large-scale circulation, large-scale consumption, and large-scale trade, all walks of life will benefit from the development of modern agriculture, and systematic policy tools will be used to further promote the return of value into other industries to form a positive cycle based on agriculture.
Source: China Development Observation Network
WeChat editor: Zhang Jingjing
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