Taizhou Explores a New Path of "Food Safety for Common Prosperity"

In recent years, Taizhou City in Zhejiang Province has focused on building "Food Safety for Common Prosperity and Happy Villages," positioning food safety as a core element of industrial development. Through innovative models, technological empowerment, brand building, and the integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries, the city has effectively boosted the quality and efficiency of rural specialty industries. This has led to an innovative path where safety drives development and development fuels common prosperity.

Innovative Co-construction Models to Foster Synergy in Industrial Development. Leveraging its regional resource endowments, Taizhou has actively explored various forms of industrial development models. In Huangyan District, the government, in collaboration with state-owned enterprises, established the "Changtan Lake" Village-Enterprise Common Prosperity Company, integrating resources from 82 villages. A comprehensive quality control system from farm to workshop was set up, enabling precise alignment between production and sales, and providing local employment for nearly 1,000 villagers. In Sanmen County, centered around Taotou Village, a shareholding company was established in partnership with seven villages and three enterprises, creating a full industry chain for blood clams. In 2024, the output exceeded 1.8 million kilograms (approx. 3.6 million jin), driving an income increase of over 7 million yuan. Yuhuan City innovated a "business + farmer" cooperation model, offering comprehensive support in land, technology, and other areas, which encouraged 150 farming households to participate in the development of the Wendan citrus industry, achieving an average annual income increase of 8,000 yuan per household.

Strengthening Technological Empowerment to Enhance Product Quality and Value. Technological innovation is regarded as the key to enhancing industrial competitiveness. The city has promoted the application of the "Zhejiang Food Chain" system, enabling full traceability for specialty agricultural products like small yellow ginger and Wendan through a "one ginger, one code" and "one fruit, one code" system. Jiaojiang District established an expert assistance team to advance GAP standardized planting and built a 15-minute rural testing service circle. Wenling City constructed three Class 100,000 purification workshops, reducing the processing time for dried fish by over 50% and significantly increasing product added value. Tiantai County developed a 2,100-mu (approx. 140-hectare) planting base for Huangjing (Polygonatum), facilitating the value transformation of its "Three Herbal Treasures" industry.

Focusing on Brand Cultivation to Boost Market Competitiveness. A brand strategy has been implemented to enhance market recognition of the products. Led by the regional public brand "Tai Jiu Xian," sub-brands such as "Changtan Lake," "Xianyu Qiyuan," and "Shenxian Danong" have been integrated, bringing over 900 high-quality food products into the brand system. The geographical indication trademark "Dachen Yellow Croaker" from Jiaojiang District boasts a brand value of 715 million yuan. Through deep processing and live-streaming marketing, "Zhang'an Ginger" has successfully developed over ten high-value-added products, winning the national bronze award for "Zhejiang-style Gift." Xianju County created the regional public brand "Immortal Grand Agriculture," which generated sales of 26.76 million yuan in 2024, covering over 300 specialty products in nine categories.

Promoting Integration of Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Industries to Extend Industrial Chains. Taizhou has advanced the deep integration of agriculture with processing, tourism, culture, and other industries. Xiao chou Village in Luqiao District has developed deep processing of loquats and cultural tourism experiences, achieving a shift from "harvest abundance in one season" to "increased income all year round." The Jiangnan · Xiwanggu project in Linhai City revitalized over 300 idle assets, creating more than 30 distinctive business formats such as tea culture spaces and common prosperity markets, attracting over 600,000 visitors. Xilu Village in Xianju County built a Bayberry Museum and an e-commerce center, linking the entire industrial chain of "planting–processing–sales," and boosting the average income of bayberry farming households by 38,400 yuan. The Pingqiao Commercial District has integrated food and tourism routes, tapping into the "concert economy," achieving an average daily foot traffic of over 8,000 people and an annual collective income exceeding 16 million yuan.

Translator：Jiayang Lin