On April 17, 2025, China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, together with the Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Water Resources, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, jointly issued a new policy document titled “Implementation Opinions on Accelerating the Improvement of the Overall Efficiency of the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation System.” The document outlines a comprehensive framework to modernize China’s agricultural science and technology (agri-tech) system in support of the country’s long-term goal of becoming an “agricultural power”.
The plan emphasizes reforming institutional arrangements, improving research coordination, and strengthening the role of key actors including national and local research institutes, universities, and leading agri-tech enterprises. It aims to integrate research with market needs and public service functions while enhancing collaboration across sectors and regions.
Key goals
Key goals include:
- Achieving self-reliance in core agricultural technologies.
- Developing world-class research institutions and agri-tech enterprises by 2035.
- Advancing critical innovation areas such as biological breeding, low-carbon agriculture, and smart equipment.
- Supporting leading enterprises as innovation drivers, and encouraging private-sector investment and participation in R&D.
- Establishing mechanisms for transferring scientific advances into production, improving performance evaluation systems, and creating modern platforms for research and technology demonstration.
- Fostering high-level talent through reforms in training, recruitment, and career incentives, including support for youth and cross-sector mobility.
- Enhancing international cooperation, especially with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, and encouraging participation in global innovation platforms.
- Strengthening oversight, ethical standards, and science communication in the agricultural research sector.
This effort builds on the “all-of-nation” approach to consolidate innovation resources under national strategies, and addresses long-standing challenges in China’s agri-tech system such as fragmentation, low commercialization rates, and lack of integration between research and practical application.
Context
Improving agricultural innovation capacity has become a strategic priority as China seeks to increase its agricultural productivity and resilience amid growing challenges from climate change, rural transformation, and global competition. This new directive aligns with the central government’s broader emphasis on technological self-reliance and agricultural modernization, as underscored in recent policy documents.
Full document
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Water Resources, and Chinese Academy of Sciences. 2025. “关于加快提升农业科技创新体系整体效能的实施意见 [Opinions on Accelerating the Overall Efficiency of the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation System]”. Available at https://www.farmer.com.cn/2025/05/07/99986316.html.
