China has recorded a net increase in the total area of farmland for three consecutive years, reversing a long-standing trend of shrinking arable land, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Natural Resources on Thursday.

Since 2021, the country’s farmland has expanded by 17.58 million mu (approximately 1.17 million hectares), stated Liu Guohong, vice minister of natural resources, during a press conference. This achievement is attributed to China’s ongoing commitment to farmland preservation, enhanced reform measures, and an accountability mechanism aimed at protecting agricultural land.

Liu also highlighted the establishment of a provincial-level dynamic control system to maintain a balanced total of farmland, alongside economic incentives that reward farmland protection efforts.

China remains focused on ensuring grain security, feeding over 1.4 billion people with just 9 percent of the world’s arable land. To support this, the country has been implementing various strategies, such as building high-standard farmland and adopting advanced agricultural technologies. The results of these efforts were evident this summer when China reported its largest grain output increase in nine years, buoyed by a strong wheat harvest.