Text: Yu Yu
Edited by Yu Yu
Preface:
On the international stage, food is not only a necessity to sustain life, but also a silent weapon, and United States, a large agricultural country, seems to be playing a big chess game.
What exactly do they want to achieve with food, and why has China become their focus?
Food diplomacy: the sweet trap of United States
While we are still worrying about three meals a day, United States have begun to play with international politics with food, which sounds incredible, but the truth is so cruel.
In 1954, Eisenhower signed Public Law 480, a seemingly humanitarian act that was in fact the beginning of United States food diplomacy.
On the surface, it United States provide aid to food-starved countries around the world, but in reality there are huge political and economic interests behind this aid, and food aid has become a double-edged sword for United States to control other countries.
Over time, the United States' food diplomacy strategy has become more sophisticated, and they are no longer satisfied with simple government actions, but have begun to rely on commercial power, which has to mention the rise of the world's four largest grain merchants, ABCD.
ABCD refers to four multinational grain giants, ADM, Bunge, Cargill and Louis Dreyfus, which control more than 70% of the world's grain trade and have become the right-hand men of United States' food diplomacy.
With their strong capital and information advantages, these grain giants can manipulate food prices on a global scale, and every decision they make can affect the livelihoods of millions of people.
However, food aid is not simply an act of charity, and behind United States' food diplomacy lies deep political and economic considerations.
This approach is reminiscent of the bread and circus policies of ancient Rome, except that the modern version of bread has evolved into a more complex game of international politics.
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In this food diplomacy, developing countries are often the biggest victims, falling deeper and deeper into the sweet trap of the United States and gradually losing food autonomy.
Food security is the lifeblood of a country, and if a country is unable to provide even the most basic food rations, how can it be truly independent?
Undercurrents: A key battle in the U.S.-China food contest
While United States' food diplomacy was in full swing, a new power quietly rose to become the focus of United States' food strategy – and that country was China.
In August of 2003, the United States Department of Agriculture suddenly issued an announcement claiming that United States soybean production would decline due to drought and other factors.
As soon as the news came out, it immediately caused an uproar in the international market, and China, as the world's largest soybean consumer, immediately fell into a panic.
Domestic oil mills and traders snapped up nearly 8 million tons of United States soybeans at high prices, but what they didn't know was that it was an elaborate scam.
In less than a month, the United States Department of Agriculture issued a new announcement: soybean production did not decline but increased, soybean prices in the international market plummeted, Chinese companies suffered heavy losses, and 17 billion yuan was lost.
The soybean war has cost China dearly, but United States' ambitions go far beyond that.
In 2006-2008, a larger war for staple foods quietly began, this time the United States raised the banner of biofuels.
Ostensibly in response to the energy crisis and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the move has actually led to a large amount of food being used to produce ethanol, and global food prices have skyrocketed.
International food prices have risen nearly threefold in the past two years, and many developing countries are in a food crisis United States.
They have taken advantage of their own advantages to hoard a large amount of grain, which has further exacerbated the panic in the market, and the spearhead of this war for staple grains is obviously also pointed at China.
However, the United States may have underestimated China's strength and wisdom, and in this seemingly one-sided contest, China has launched a powerful counterattack with its unique institutional advantages and profound cultural heritage.
Then another rice war surged in the undercurrent, this time the United States offered the trump card of GMO, and they tried to open the door to the Chinese market by selling GM rice.
This is undoubtedly a risky move, rice as a staple food for Chinese, related to the national economy and people's livelihood, if genetically modified rice is allowed to enter China on a large scale, it may not only affect food security, but also shake China's agricultural foundation.
In this war without gunpowder, every move of the United States is full of calculations, and they try to control the direction of China's development by controlling food.
However, history has proven time and time again that any attempt to control China through grain will ultimately fail.
China's countermeasures to United States food hegemony
After the 2003 soybean war, China learned from the pain and quickly established a food security system with China grain reserves as the core.
The name China Grain Reserve may be unfamiliar to many people, but it is this low-key organization that played a crucial role in the subsequent grain war.
In the 2008 war for staple grains, when the United States and the four major grain merchants tried to manipulate international grain prices, China Grain Reserve took timely action and released grain reserves to the market, effectively stabilizing domestic grain prices.
This trick can be described as a draw from the bottom of the kettle, which directly disrupted the United States's wishful thinking, and what is even more amazing is that in the subsequent rice war, China Grain Storage once again demonstrated China's grain strength.
In the face of external pressure, China Grain Reserve gradually increased its supply, from once a week to once every three days, and finally even evolved into a daily release of reserve rice.
This approach not only stabilizes the domestic market, but also sends a clear signal to the international community that China has the ability and determination to safeguard its own food security.
However, China's response strategy is not limited to passive defense, and the implementation of the strategy of storing grain in technology marks the beginning of China's shift to proactive attack on food security issues.
At the heart of this strategy is to improve grain production and quality through scientific and technological innovation, from hybrid rice to genetically modified technology research, China's investment and achievements in the field of agricultural science and technology are obvious to all.
It is worth mentioning that China is very cautious about GM technology, and we support research in the laboratory and in the field, but we are not in a hurry to bring it to market.
In addition to technological innovation, China is also actively participating in international cooperation and is committed to building a new pattern of global food security.
From agricultural cooperation along the Belt and Road to participation in the work of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, China is contributing its wisdom and strength to global food security as a responsible major country.
This multi-pronged response strategy has not only effectively defused the United States's food encirclement and suppression, but also promoted China's transformation from a major grain importer to a stabilizer of food security and an active participant in global food governance.
Looking back on this process, it is not difficult for us to find that China's success is not accidental, it is the continuation of the wisdom of the Chinese nation's thousands of years of agricultural civilization, the embodiment of the advantages of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, and the crystallization of the industrious wisdom of the Chinese people.
In this food war without gunpowder, China not only defended its own job, but also contributed China's plan to world food security, which is undoubtedly another shining of China's wisdom.
Challenges ahead: a new dimension of food security
However, as we cheer China's victory in the food war, new challenges are looming, and the meaning of food security is changing profoundly in this rapidly changing world.
First and foremost is the challenge posed by climate change, where global warming is no longer a distant warning, but is actually affecting our food production, and the frequency of extreme weather events is testing the resilience of agriculture around the world.
Taking China as an example, the frequent floods, droughts and other natural disasters in recent years have had a considerable impact on grain production, and how to ensure food security in the context of climate change is undoubtedly a difficult problem in front of us.
At the same time, the application of emerging technologies in the field of food has also added new variables to the food war, from gene editing to artificial intelligence, and technological advances are reshaping the way agricultural production is carried out.
But at the same time, they could also become a new tool for geopolitical games, and whoever masters these technologies may have a head start in future food wars.
What is even more alarming is that the fragility of the global food supply chain is increasing, and the outbreak of the new crown epidemic has made us deeply aware of the risk of supply chain disruption in the context of globalization.
If there is a problem at a critical point, the entire supply chain may be paralyzed, in which case the issue of food security will directly evolve into a national security issue.
How to build a more resilient food supply chain is a question that every country needs to think about seriously, and China's response to these new challenges is also evolving with the times.
From vigorously developing smart agriculture to strengthening agricultural disaster resilience capacity; From promoting scientific and technological innovation in the seed industry to improving the grain reserve system, China is taking a multi-pronged approach to build a line of defense for food security in the new era.
In particular, China is actively promoting international cooperation to jointly address global food security challenges.
Looking back on history, it is not difficult for us to find that food security has never been a simple agricultural issue, but a major strategic issue related to national development and national rejuvenation.
In this era of uncertainty, whoever can remain sober and determined on the issue of food security will be able to win the initiative in international competition.
From this perspective, China's continuous efforts in the field of food security are undoubtedly laying a solid foundation for the country's long-term peace and stability.
End:
Food security is the lifeblood of the country, and although United States's food strategy may seem clever, China's wisdom and strength have not only successfully met the challenges, but also contributed to the global food security field.
In the face of uncertainties in the future, we need to continue to adhere to an innovative, open and cooperative attitude to jointly build a more equitable and sustainable global food system and contribute to human food security.
Resources:
"Deepening Reform and Consolidating the Foundation of Food Security" issued by China Industry Network on July 25, 2024
On July 23, 2024, Guangming.com released "Developing New Agricultural Productivity and Building a Solid Foundation for Food Security in a Large Country"
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