An Overlooked Area of China‘s Industrial Policy: Food Supply Chains | REPLAY

Research evidence excerpt

An Overlooked Area of China‘s Industrial Policy: Food Supply Chains | REPLAY

Global | Sustainability & Transition Strategy June 25, 2026

An Overlooked Area of China’s Industrial Policy:

Food Supply Chains | REPLAY

We hosted Systemiq to discuss an overlooked area of China’s tech rise –

food innovation. Early signals suggest Beijing is applying the same industrial

playbook which delivered leadership in solar & EVs. KTs 1) China's latest policy

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documents set out plans to reduce vulnerabilities in its food system; 2) By

2030, import demand may have peaked, especially for feed & animal protein. 3)

Prioritization of biomanufacturing is set to transform global food production.

1) Food Security, Strategic Imperative for China – China is in the midst of deploying a familiar

industrial playbook aimed at improving its food security, per our speakers. Structural pressure on

China’s food system has historically been driven by 3 factors.

A ~7x increase in per capita consumption of meat, dairy, and seafood has led to >10x growth•

in total animal protein demand.

Import dependence: China has shifted from a net exporter to the world’s largest agricultural•

importer, with ~83% of its soy consumption imported.

System fragility: Exposure to shocks (e.g., African swine fever destroying ~40% of the pig herd,•

climate stress, and trade disruptions) has highlighted the risks of concentrated supply chains.

This has driven a policy shift from food as an agricultural issue to food as national security, now

formally embedded in key national planning documents such as the 15th 5YP.

2) Industrial Policy in Support of Food Security & Innovation – A core insight from both the report

and our discussion was China's efforts in deploying a familiar industrial playbook around food

security.