China: Number One Document Provides Beijing's Thoughts and Highlights Food Security and Rural Reform

On February 23, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Committee and the State Council unveiled the 2025 No. 1 Document, which outlines comprehensive strategies for agriculture and rural development. While food security remains a cornerstone, the policy now places greater emphasis on reforming and modernizing rural practices to address emerging challenges in China’s rural revitalization efforts. The Document advocates for financial relief for the beef and dairy cattle industry, and to monitor the size of China's swineherd. It also promotes genetically-engineered corn and soybean development as part of the “new productive” forces of agriculture emphasizing the transformative potential of AI, big data, and drone tech in advancing smart agriculture. To promote rural development, the Document extends expiring rural land leases by 30 years and promotes more flexible agricultural financing vehicles that could make access to capital easier for rural communities.