Food security, faster

Beijing is fast-tracking the forthcoming Food Security Protection Law (FSPL).

Last Wednesday, the legislature (NPCSC) released a second draft FSPL and called for public comments.

That was fast: The NPCSC reviewed a first draft in June.

• We thought the revision process would take at least another year.

So, what changed? We poured over the second draft and found a few major adjustments.

It calls for international cooperation on food security and active participation in global grain markets.

• That fixes a major oversight in the first draft, which largely ignored the outside world.

It codifies the state's right to intervene in farmers' planting decisions.

• Beijing has been pushing much harder for farmers to grow grain since 2020 – and enforcement measures have been controversial.
• The updated draft language has already engendered debate – and will likely be revised in the final version (Caixin).

It pushes harder to protect, improve, and expand farmland.

• The updated draft includes a slew of measures aimed at investing in and expanding farmland area, ensuring even abandoned and low-quality plots get farmed, and strictly regulating use of China's best farmland.

Get smart: Adoption of the FSPL will boost production of staple crops, keeping prices low and production stable.

• But this will reduce production of higher value products that boost farm incomes and feed into consumer-driven supply chains.

What to watch out for: The accelerated drafting process indicates the FSPL will likely be finalized in December.

• That means implementing it will be a hot topic at the Central Rural Work Conference, and in next year's No. 1 Document.