Editor’s note: Chunding Li is a professor at the College of Economics and Management, China Agricultural University；Yanni Zhou is a doctoral candidate at the College of Economics and Management, China Agricultural University. The article reflects the authors’ opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN. 

China unveiled its “No. 1 Central Document” for 2025 on Sunday, outlining the priorities for further deepening rural reforms and taking solid steps in advancing all-around rural revitalization.

Agriculture serves as the foundation of national strength, while agricultural modernization constitutes a fundamental pillar of national modernization. The third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee emphasized the need to improve institutional mechanisms for the region-specific development of new quality productive forces. Furthermore, the 2024 Central Economic Work Conference reinforced this directive, stating that “technological innovation should drive the development of new quality productive forces.” This provides a clear roadmap for agricultural modernization. Against the backdrop of intensifying resource and environmental constraints as well as increasing global agricultural competition, leveraging technological innovation to advance new-quality productive forces in agriculture, enhancing total factor productivity, and achieving high-quality agricultural development are essential for overcoming current challenges in the sector.

Technological innovation as the core driver of new quality productive forces in agriculture

First, achieving self-reliance and strength in agricultural technology is fundamental to the formation of new-quality productive forces in agriculture. Unlike traditional agricultural production models, new quality productive forces are characterized by technological innovation, factor reallocation, and industrial upgrading. By optimizing the allocation of key production factors—including labor, land, and capital—through technological advancements, agricultural productivity can be significantly enhanced, facilitating industrial transformation. Given the increasing complexity of the global economic environment and escalating food security challenges, strengthening autonomous innovation and achieving breakthroughs in core technologies are critical to ensuring the sustainability and resilience of agricultural development.