Bohai Granary: Harnessing the Saline-Alkali Lands

Abstract

Agriculture forms the backbone of a nation, and food security is essential for social stability and sustainable economic growth. In China, ensuring adequate food production is not only critical for national well-being but also a strategic priority for maintaining self-sufficiency. To enhance food security, two key approaches are increasing yields from the existing agricultural lands and improving the productivity of low- and medium-yield farmland. One of China’s major underutilized resources is its extensive saline-alkali lands, which, despite historically low productivity due to poor soil conditions and scarce freshwater resources, hold immense potential for boosting grain output. Recognizing this, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), initiated the “Bohai Granary Scientific and Technological Demonstration Project” (Bohai Granary Project for short) in partnership with three provinces and one municipality— Hebei, Shandong, Liaoning, and Tianjin. This project represents a landmark effort to rehabilitate saline-alkali lands and transform them into highly productive grain-producing regions, thereby contributing significantly to China’s food security strategy. In this article, the author revisits the key milestones, technological breakthroughs, and outlook on the future potential of this project.