Agricultural experts and officials have called for enhanced oversight across the entire farm-to-table supply chain to address ongoing food safety concerns, especially in the wake of recent incidents involving vegetables. These calls come as authorities in Yuzhong county, Gansu province, launched investigations into six companies found to have illegally used food additives to artificially preserve the freshness of lettuce.

Following online reports about artificially colored lettuce, regulators conducted inspections at 53 vegetable procurement and storage operations in the county. The six companies identified are now under investigation for violating food safety regulations. This case follows another recent controversy involving Chinese cabbage in Kangbao county, Hebei province, further fueling public apprehension about the handling and safety of vegetables.

Experts emphasized that food safety risks can arise throughout every stage of the supply chain, from cultivation and procurement to processing, distribution, and storage. Xu Jiuliang, an associate professor at China Agricultural University, highlighted the wide range of risks involved, including pesticide residues, heavy metals, misuse of additives, and counterfeit or substandard products. He stressed that ensuring food safety requires comprehensive management across all these phases.

At the recent 2026 First Organic Vegetable Development Conference in Dali Bai autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province, Xu advocated for organic agriculture as a means to reduce some production-stage risks by imposing stricter controls on agricultural inputs. He noted that organic farming’s core advantage lies not in consistently outperforming conventional methods but in its holistic approach—minimizing chemical use, lowering pesticide exposure risks, promoting soil health, and encouraging ecological protection and green consumption.

Industry representatives echoed the complexity of organic farming, pointing out that it involves a broad technical framework rather than simply eliminating conventional pesticides. For instance, Yunnan Nature Star Agricultural Technology Co. employs biological pest control techniques using beneficial insects such as braconid wasps and predatory mites, along with plant-, mineral-, and microbe-based products approved under organic certification standards.

However, experts cautioned that production is only one element of ensuring food safety. Ke Bin, an inspector with the Yunnan provincial department of agriculture and rural affairs, emphasized the integration of ecological cultivation with full-process traceability systems and cold chain logistics to maintain safety and quality. He also called for stronger coordination among different provincial authorities, governments, and businesses, alongside closer alignment of production with market demand.

China’s vegetable sector remains substantial but with limited organic market penetration. In 2024, the country cultivated over 23.3 million hectares of vegetables and produced approximately 860 million metric tons, yet organic vegetables represented only about 0.3 percent of the market. Zhao Zekun, secretary of the fourth joint Communist Party committee of national industry bodies and chambers of commerce, urged standardized production, comprehensive traceability, stricter certification, and more robust supervision to combat counterfeit and substandard products.

Chinese Academy of Engineering academician Zhang Fustao highlighted the necessity of balancing ecological agriculture goals with farmers’ livelihoods, advocating for approaches that maintain high yields and quality while supporting green and organic practices. “Ultimately, we aim to align green development with increasing farmers’ incomes,” Zhang stated.