2026 Zhongguancun Forum Annual Conference | By 2028, attract and cultivate 5–10 key enterprises, Pinggu District accelerates the transformation of agriculture toward health and service-oriented development

(Source: Beijing Business Today)

How long does it take to go from “eating enough” to “eating healthily” with whole grains? Pinggu District has given an answer: ten years. On March 26, at the Zhongguancun Forum Annual Conference’s Agriculture and Medical Integration Sub-Forum, Pinggu District released a ten-year “Agricultural Zhongguancun Whole Grain Action Implementation Plan (2026–2035),” promoting the integration of agriculture and health, making whole grains a regular part of the diet. Pingguo District is working to become the capital’s window for agricultural and medical integration, shifting agriculture from traditional production to health services. Behind this effort are comprehensive strategies involving technology, standards, and models.

Building the Capital’s Window for Agriculture and Medical Integration

“By 2028, Pinggu District aims to establish one municipal-level whole grain innovation platform and one pilot base; by 2030, two municipal innovation platforms and two pilot bases…” said Zhao Wenkang, Standing Committee Member of Pinggu District Committee and Deputy District Mayor. This is the goal Pinggu District has set for itself in the new track of deep integration between agriculture and health. On March 26, at the Zhongguancun Forum Annual Conference’s Agriculture and Medical Integration Sub-Forum, Pinggu District unveiled the “Agricultural Zhongguancun Whole Grain Action Implementation Plan (2026–2035)” (hereinafter referred to as the “Plan”). Behind this release, Pinggu District is striving to build a strong agricultural gateway for the capital, transforming agriculture from traditional production to health-oriented services.

The Plan states: “By 2028, Pinggu District will establish one municipal-level whole grain innovation platform and one pilot base, breakthrough 3–5 key common technologies for whole grains, and attract and cultivate 5–10 key enterprises; by 2030, two municipal innovation platforms and two pilot bases will be built, forming a batch of landmark achievements and initially creating a whole grain industry cluster; by 2035, the goal is to establish a national-level innovation platform, forming a complete industrial innovation chain covering variety breeding, processing technology, and clinical intervention research.”

All affairs, food foremost. Today, as China secures the rice bowl for 1.4 billion people, food consumption is shifting from “eating enough” to “eating well” and “eating healthily.” In fact, as early as December 2024, the National Development and Reform Commission, the National Food and Material Reserve Bureau, and six other ministries jointly issued the “National Whole Grain Action Plan (2024–2035),” launching four major initiatives: publicity and guidance, standard setting, technological innovation, and industrial upgrading. They issued national standards for germinated brown rice and other whole grains, industry standards for whole wheat flour, and group standards for whole grain foods, organizing key research on whole grain technologies to create favorable conditions for development. Against this background, the integration of agriculture and healthcare industries is further promoting high-quality agricultural development and innovative practices to serve people’s healthy lifestyles. As Beijing’s major agricultural region, Pinggu District has been actively advancing the “Agricultural Zhongguancun” initiative in recent years. Unlike traditional agricultural zones, the positioning of Agricultural Zhongguancun is as a “source of agricultural science and technology innovation.” This means it should not only produce grain but also generate technology, standards, and models. In 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs signed an agreement with the Beijing Municipal Government to jointly develop China Pinggu Agricultural Zhongguancun, explicitly aiming to make Pinggu District a showcase of national agricultural modernization.

Liu Huaxin, member of the Party Leadership Group of the National Development and Reform Commission and Secretary and Director of the National Food and Material Reserve Bureau, stated that the hosting of this parallel forum is a pragmatic move by Pinggu District to develop Agricultural Zhongguancun and a modern food and nutrition valley. It is also the beginning of creating regional whole grain technology hubs and cultivating whole grain industry clusters nationwide, which will serve as a good demonstration and driver for the development of whole grains across the country. The National Food and Material Reserve Bureau will fully support Pinggu District in developing whole grains and serve as a pioneer area.

“Focusing on functional agriculture, promoting the shift from ‘growing staple food’ to ‘growing health’; also focusing on functional foods, shifting the food industry from ‘eating enough’ to ‘eating for nutrition and health’; and focusing on proactive health, striving to build an innovative high ground integrating food and health, providing broad application scenarios for the development of the agricultural and food health industry,” said Di Tao, Deputy Secretary of the Pinggu District Committee and District Mayor.

From Concept to Practice

The shift from traditional production to health-oriented services in agriculture requires real implementation from concept to practice. Moving from “growing staple food” to “growing health,” and from “eating enough” to “eating healthily,” involves technological breakthroughs, industry support, and market cultivation, requiring coordinated efforts.

Chen Junshi, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, researcher and chief consultant at the National Food Safety Risk Assessment Center, said: “‘Medical-agricultural integration’ is not just an industry concept but an important part of building a Healthy China. The boundaries between agriculture and medicine are blurring, and this integration needs to be systematically promoted across technology, industry, and policy levels.”

To advance the integration of agriculture and health from concept to practice, Pinggu District is trying to connect research, industry, standards, and markets. At this forum, Pinggu District launched the “Agricultural Zhongguancun Whole Grain Industry Alliance.” According to Beijing Business Today, the alliance includes research institutions, processing companies, standard-setting bodies, and market channels across the entire industry chain. As the district’s official statement puts it: “This aims to build an integrated platform for standards, branding, technology, and markets.” If this alliance’s vision is realized, the future could see: whole grain products no longer niche, more affordable, more diverse options, and standardized quality. This aligns with Pinggu District’s goal—to not just produce more whole grains but to truly bring them into thousands of households and integrate them into daily meals and seasons.

Additionally, Pinggu District is working to develop a functional food industry cluster. Currently, it has attracted 52 high-quality companies in the food nutrition sector, including Want Want, New Hope, and Cixin Garden, forming an initial industry chain covering R&D, production, processing, and sales. The construction of a functional food industrial park is accelerating. Meanwhile, Pinggu District is planning to create its first proactive health town, exploring the role of dietary therapy in health management centers through scientific meal formulations, bringing health foods from farms to forefronts of health services.

In fact, more and more cases of agriculture and health integration are moving from laboratories to fields and even to dining tables. Zhang Qifa, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and professor at Huazhong Agricultural University, revealed that the “Huamo Xiang” whole grain black rice developed by his team has been cultivated and promoted in multiple regions, such as Liangshan and Xichang in Sichuan, with yields exceeding 700 kg per mu.

Beijing Business Today Zhang Junhua