Strategic Thinking on Developing Grassland Agriculture to Ensure China’s Food Security under the New Situation
Zhang Yan,
Huang Yi,
Liu Ying,
Fan Yubing,
Peng Jinglun,
Tang Zeng,
Xia Chao,
Nan Zhibiao
Affiliations
Zhang Yan
Chinese Center for Strategic Research of Grassland Agriculture Development, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China ;
College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China ;
State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Lanzhou 730020, China
Huang Yi
Chinese Center for Strategic Research of Grassland Agriculture Development, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China ;
College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China ;
State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Lanzhou 730020, China
Liu Ying
School of Management, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Fan Yubing
Chinese Center for Strategic Research of Grassland Agriculture Development, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China ;
College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China ;
State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Lanzhou 730020, China
Peng Jinglun
Chinese Center for Strategic Research of Grassland Agriculture Development, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China ;
College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China ;
State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Lanzhou 730020, China
Tang Zeng
Chinese Center for Strategic Research of Grassland Agriculture Development, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China ;
College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China ;
State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Lanzhou 730020, China
Xia Chao
Chinese Center for Strategic Research of Grassland Agriculture Development, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China ;
College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China ;
State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Lanzhou 730020, China
Nan Zhibiao
Chinese Center for Strategic Research of Grassland Agriculture Development, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China ;
College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China ;
State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Lanzhou 730020, China
Considering the new situation of dietary structure transformation, frequent extreme weathers, and intensified international geopolitical conflicts, China needs to adopt an all-encompassing approach to food and exploit the food supply function of grassland agriculture to comprehensively improve its capability to ensure food security. Using qualitative and quantitative analysis, this study demonstrates the great value of developing grassland agriculture under the new situation, explores the trend of grassland agriculture development in typical countries, and summarizes its implications to China; furthermore, it evaluates the potential contribution of grassland agriculture to food security in China. The results show that rangeland has a great potential for providing high-quality livestock products and grassland agriculture can guarantee food security in rural areas. The agro-pastoral ecotones will be the major production bases for grassland-based livestock products and South China has dominant advantages in developing grassland agriculture. Therefore, we recommend to (1) strengthen rangeland restoration while rationally utilizing long-term grazing-prohibition rangelands, (2) regard forage as important as grain crop while strengthening grass breeding, (3) develop cultivated grasslands for gazing to relieve pressure on rangelands, (4) optimize the structure of livestock husbandry by promoting grain-saving grassland livestock husbandry, and (5) implement the strategy of “storing grain productivity in grassland” according to local conditions to enhance the food supply capacity of grassland.
