Food Security and Agriculture for China

Agricultural security is an important component of global public health. However, heavy metal pollution is quietly eroding this safety bottom line. According to the latest market analysis, food crops in multiple regions around the world are subject to varying degrees of heavy metal pollution, which not only affects the nutritional value of food, but also poses a direct threat to human health. In this context, heavy metal detection technology is particularly important. Advanced detection technology can quickly identify the heavy metal content in crops, fruits and vegetables, soil, and water, providing scientific basis for agricultural safety. Focusing on the problem of “rapid detection of heavy metals”, Boqiao Scientific Research Company has established a scientific research team of more than 30 people, including academicians of the CAE Member, national outstanding youth, experts and professors. After 22 years of unremitting exploration and research, it has successfully developed an internationally leading heavy metal analyzer (non dispersive atomic fluorescence spectrometer), which can be widely used in the fields of agriculture and animal husbandry, food and medicine, environmental protection, quality supervision, nuclear industry, medical health, chemical industry, metallurgy, and other fields to quickly and accurately determine 11 kinds of heavy metals, including arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium, etc. This technology fills the gap in the world’s scientific and technological field, and is in a leading position internationally, achieving the world’s first rapid and mobile detection of trace heavy metals. On the basis of the successful application of this technology and instrument, Boqiao Research Company has pioneered the “five elements” rapid testing laboratory for heavy metals, agricultural residues, animal residues, biotoxins, and microorganisms, as well as the mobile laboratory (vehicle) for agricultural product safety rapid testing and the ecological health and safety big data sharing platform. In particular, it has broken the gap of rapid flow detection of heavy metals and diagnosis time for lethal herbicide poisoning from 6 hours to 5 minutes, providing strong technical support and guarantee for the implementation of agricultural (food) trust projects, traditional Chinese medicine safety testing, environmental safety supervision, and import and export commodity inspection and quarantine in a “co construction, sharing, co treatment, fast, accurate, and low-cost” manner. At present, this technology, product, and service have been successfully applied to multiple departments (units) such as the China National Nuclear Security Technology Center, the National Pig Technology Innovation Center, the Chongqing Agriculture and Rural Committee, the Chongqing Market Supervision Administration, the Chongqing Customs, the Chongqing Institute of Metrology and Quality Inspection, and the Chongqing Key Project for Occupational Disease Prevention and Poisoning Treatment, as well as rural revitalization and major national livelihood projects. The benefits of scientific and technological achievements transformation and social benefits are outstanding. China is a reliable partner of the United Nations and developing countries in the field of food security, and a positive force in maintaining world food security. Boqiao Research Company will use internationally leading heavy metal rapid detection technology to assist in the safety of the “first mile”, promote the sustainable development of Chinese agriculture, and share China’s experience with the world to jointly maintain and promote global food security.