For food safety, China's agriculture needs market-driven innovation

The country ranks third worldwide for total arable land. China is able to feed 19 percent of the world's population with only 7 percent of the cultivated land, along with key imports. Through labor-intensive and high-investment production practices, China has recorded grain production increases for 11 years in a row.

However, because of an urbanizing population and natural resource constraints, China has begun to move away from extensive management methods driven by large output goals and excessive agricultural input practices.

"Improving agricultural competitiveness will be achieved by promoting technological innovation in agriculture and mandating environmentally sustainable development. China today is clearly one of the major agricultural world powers," Niebur said.

As the world's largest grain consumer, China has stepped up efforts to ensure food safety and security, as well as integrating new agricultural technologies to increase land productivity, while safeguarding its water and limited arable land for farming and food production, said Niebur.

China's rural population accounts for about half of the total. "Managing rural areas by law" has become the focus for developing rural China. The leaders have pledged to let markets play a "decisive role" in the economic reforms.

However, to ensure the profitability and productivity of those producing agricultural products, China needs an effective and transparent law enactment and enforcement system. China has made significant progress in terms of intellectual property rights protection, which has spurred research and development in the industry and ensured long-term benefits for the rural population.