Reuters
China's first food security law aimed at achieving "absolute self-sufficiency" in staple grains came into effect on Saturday, reinforcing efforts by the world's biggest agriculture importer to lower its reliance on overseas purchases. The law provides a legal framework for existing guidance by the Communist Party for local governments and the agricultural industry to raise food production, although it did not give details on how the law will be implemented. Passed just six months after its first reading, the rush to adopt the food security law reflects China's urgency to resolve issues that have curbed production, such as a lack of arable land and water resources, labour shortages and a lack of agriculture technology.