The China Green Agriculture Development Report 2025, jointly released on July 18, 2026, by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the China Green Agriculture Development Research Association, shows that the overall level of green agriculture development in the country continues to improve, thanks to advances in resource conservation, environmental protection, technological innovation, and rural development.
According to the report, China has strengthened the conservation and efficient use of agricultural land, water resources, and biological resources, while continuing to improve the agricultural production environment through the scientific use of fertilizers and pesticides.
The report also highlighted a steady increase in agricultural productivity, notably a record-breaking grain harvest, an expanded supply of high-quality green agricultural products, and faster innovation in breeding technology and agricultural machinery.
Meanwhile, rural industries continue to develop, farmers' incomes are steadily increasing, and living conditions in rural areas are improving, the report said.
Mr. Chen Bangxun, Director of the Development Planning Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, stated that the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) on Accelerating Agricultural and Rural Modernization identifies comprehensive green transformation in agriculture as a top priority.
This plan lists the level of green agricultural development as one of 15 key indicators to measure progress during the 2026-2030 period.
Mr. Chen said that authorities will continue to improve the monitoring and evaluation system to help local governments strengthen green development activities and enhance the quality and efficiency of agricultural modernization.
Commenting on the report, Zhang Fusuo, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said the report's greatest contribution is demonstrating through comprehensive data that high agricultural yields do not necessarily require greater resource inputs and that environmentally sustainable farming does not necessarily come at the expense of productivity.
"This report challenges the traditional notion that high productivity requires high inputs or that green development will inevitably reduce output," said Mr. Zhang.
"This shows that China has developed a unique path that both protects food production and improves the ecological environment."
According to Zhang, China's grain production is projected to reach a new record in 2025, while fertilizer use for the country's three main grain crops has declined for the tenth consecutive year.
The use of pesticides also continued to decrease, while the overall utilization rate of post-harvest straw remained above 88%, contributing to the improvement of the agricultural environment.
First published in 2019, this report has been released annually for eight consecutive years and has become one of the nation's leading assessments, tracking progress in green agriculture development. According to CAAS, the report also serves as a reference for international studies on sustainable agriculture and rural development.