Agriculture going global must not only boost productivity but also expand influence

Editor's note: In recent years, China has actively pursued the strategy of agriculture “going global”, and China's agricultural development overseas has achieved major breakthroughs in both depth and breadth. From the small-scale ventures of “crossing the river by feeling the stones” to large-scale contiguous development and “intensive cultivation”, “going global” Chinese agriculture is riding the express train of China's economic development, taking root and bearing fruit in many countries and regions around the world. For “going global” Chinese agriculture, what is increased overseas is cultivated area, and what is accumulated is international competitiveness. The group of reports from reclamation areas published in this issue not only lets us appreciate the advantages and strength of agricultural reclamation as the national team of agriculture, but also prompts new thinking about how agriculture “going global” can “walk steadily and walk fast” in the future.

Mai Tian

Agriculture “going global” is not a simple expedient measure, but a far-sighted national strategy.

Agriculture “going global” not only extends China's advanced agricultural productivity overseas and produces more agricultural products, but more importantly expands China's influence in the international agricultural field and increases its voice in international trade in agricultural products.

Therefore, for China's agriculture “going global”, productivity is needed, and influence is needed even more.

In a broad sense, agriculture “going global” includes agricultural product exports, agricultural cooperation with foreign countries, agricultural foreign aid, and direct agricultural investment; in a narrow sense, agriculture “going global” refers to Chinese enterprises, under the policy guidance of the government, for the purpose of profit-making and cooperation, on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, adopting various methods such as the export of capital, technology, products and labor services to make direct investments abroad and independently engage in lawful agricultural production and business activities.

Now that the problem of food and clothing has been solved, how to raise the agricultural industry to a new level has become the key to upgrading China's agriculture at present.

Implementing the strategy of agriculture “going global” is not only a requirement for enterprises' own development, but also a need for China's sustainable agricultural development. To solve the problem of sustainable agricultural development, it is necessary to fully expand both domestic and foreign markets and to make full use of both domestic and foreign resources, so as to seize the initiative in the highly competitive international trade in agricultural products.

After more than thirty years of development, China's agriculture has made tremendous achievements, and agricultural productivity has been greatly improved. China's agriculture has strong advantages in agricultural technology, crop management and capital, but its land resources are relatively insufficient. Many developing countries, by contrast, are relatively rich in land resources, and regions such as Southeast Asia and Africa have better climatic conditions, but they lack technology and capital, and have huge potential for agricultural development.

Therefore, China and these countries and regions are highly complementary in the field of agricultural cooperation. By “going global”, China's agriculture can both demonstrate China's strength and image and export advanced productivity, driving up the level of agricultural production in the host countries and earning a good reputation for China's agriculture to gain a foothold overseas and expand its influence.

In recent years, China's transformation in the industrial field from a “manufacturing giant” to a “manufacturing power” has impressed the world, and its achievements are obvious to all. This also applies to China's agricultural industry that is “going global”, because we must not only be a “major agricultural country” but also a “strong agricultural country”.

Therefore, whether it is agricultural reclamation as the national team of agriculture or various agricultural enterprises, in the process of agriculture “going global”, they should not only bury themselves in farming and production, but also establish a sense of competition and influence from the very beginning; while carrying out production and operations, they should also strive for a position in the international market structure, seek the initiative in trade, and grasp the pricing power in agricultural product transactions.

Today, European and American corporate giants occupy a strong position in the international agricultural field. As a major agricultural country, China must never be absent from this competition without a Chinese voice.

For Chinese agriculture “going global”, it must not only go well, but also go strongly; for “going global” Chinese agriculture, it must not only export productivity, but also win influence. This requires both top-level design from the state and the wisdom and vision of every pioneer who “goes global”.