Grassland agriculture is a new way to ensure food safety.

In developed countries, animal husbandry (mainly grassland agriculture) accounts for more than 70% of agriculture, and the food structure of people in developed countries is mainly "meat, eggs and milk". Practice has proved that the development of grassland agriculture can also "eat well" and "eat well".

At present, although we have achieved "enough to eat", in order to achieve "eat well", we must firmly grasp the initiative to ensure food safety, and the development of grassland agriculture is a reliable path.

To ensure food safety, the first is the basic satisfaction of quantity. At all times, more than 90% of the self-sufficient food must be guaranteed. The annual world grain trade volume is 250 million tons, and China's annual consumption is more than 550 million tons. We should control the grain trade deficit no more than the world export volume, and occupy the initiative in domestic and foreign affairs. The second is the guarantee of quality. China's grain consumption in direct food has dropped from 400 kg and 300 kg in urban and rural areas in the 1980s to 120 kg and 70 kg now, which is the contribution of meat, eggs and milk. With the adjustment of diet structure, feed resources have become the core problem we are facing. To vigorously develop grassland agriculture and give full play to the advantages of low consumption and high efficiency of forage grass, it is the only way to replace some high food-consuming livestock products with herbivorous livestock products such as cattle and sheep.

Use grassland agriculture to ensure food safety. First, we should apply the concept of efficient production and fine management of modern agriculture to grass and animal husbandry in pastoral areas, and build high-yield and high-efficiency artificial grassland and silage land in suitable areas, so as to alleviate ecological pressure and increase the supply of high-grade beef and mutton and milk food. Second, in the southern grassy mountains and slopes, abandoned farmland, labor shortage areas, to promote modern grass and animal husbandry. In areas with small labor force, high prices and complex topography, artificial pastures with mixed pasture of ryegrass and red bean grass should be developed; areas with large labor force and suitable for mechanized operation should be developed; high-yield forage bases such as cattail grass, forage sweet sorghum, silage corn and alfalfa should be developed, and intensive grass and animal husbandry should be implemented. Increase food equivalent through grassland agriculture, increase food equivalent with herbivorous livestock products, and reduce feed grain consumption.

In 2014, the central government launched a campaign to promote modern grassland animal husbandry in the south in ten provinces and regions in the south. This layout of grassland agriculture has protected the ecology of the northern grasslands and reduced the soil and water loss of grassy hills and slopes in the south; greatly alleviated the contradiction between the shortage of cultivated land and labor shortage; the efficient development of modern grassland and animal husbandry production; and the significant increase in the income of farmers and herdsmen. The great power of grassland agriculture is emerging.

(the writer is a researcher at the Institute of grassland, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences)