(Yicai) Sept. 18 -- China continues to promote the "big food" concept to speed up the establishment of a diversified food supply system to ensure national food security while expanding food sources beyond traditional agriculture.

The "big food" encompasses natural resources, including forests, grasslands, rivers, lakes, seas, and facility-based agriculture, according to a document outlining measures to implement the concept released by the General Office of the State Council, China's cabinet, on Sept. 15.

In the document, the General Office proposes developing economic forests, under-forest economies, forage industries, deep-sea aquaculture, and modern facility agriculture. It also encourages exploring new food resources and expanding the edible fungi industry to diversify food sources.

Strengthening basic research in food development, breeding innovation, and whole supply chain construction is also emphasized. The General Office calls for building a scientific and technological innovation support system for food development and promises policy and financial support for these initiatives.

China's 227 million hectares of forests are home to over 8,000 woody plants and produce more than 200 million tons of forest food per year, making it the third-largest agricultural commodity after grains and vegetables, forestry experts pointed out.

The output value of the under-forest economy, primarily based on forest planting, breeding, and gathering, exceeds CNY900 billion (USD123.7 billion), with significant potential for further growth, the experts noted.

According to fishery experts, the ocean's potential as a food source is vast, potentially equivalent to 1,000 times the capacity of terrestrial arable land in the long term.

The coastal city of Yantai in China's eastern Shandong province is working on setting up a green production and supply system for high-quality aquatic products, Yicai learned. It is promoting the transformation and technological innovation of the fishery industry, expanding deep-sea, bottom-layer, and onshore aquaculture spaces.

Yantai also encourages companies to develop overseas aquaculture, fishing, processing, and trade operations and build marine ranches.

Editor: Martin Kadiev