On January 29, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Ministry of Water Resources and the National Rural Revitalisation Administration jointly issued the “Action Plan for the Battle of Agricultural and Rural Pollution Control (2021-2025)” (hereinafter referred to as the “Action Plan”), which contains comprehensive regulations for the general requirements, main tasks and measures for continuous fight against environmental pollution in agriculture and rural areas. The fight against pollution in agriculture and rural areas is of great importance for promoting environmentally friendly and low-carbon development in agriculture and rural areas, as well as for strengthening the construction of an ecological civilisation in rural areas.

The Action Plan proposes the main objectives based on the actual situation and development needs of the “three rural areas”. By 2025, the status of environmental restoration in rural areas will be significantly improved, pollution of agricultural land will be curbed, and the ecological environment in rural areas will be continuously improved. The environmental rehabilitation of 80,000 new administrative villages will be completed, the treatment rate of rural domestic sewage will reach 40% and large areas of black, stinking water in rural areas will be substantially eliminated; the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides will be continuously reduced, the use rate of fertilisers and pesticides for major crops will reach 43%, the recycling rate of agricultural films will reach 85% and the comprehensive use rate of livestock and poultry fertilisers will reach more than 80%.

The Action Plan addresses key areas and remaining bottlenecks, presents key tasks in five areas and sets out the roadmap and schedule:
1. Accelerate the treatment of rural domestic sewage and rubbish;
2. Carry out remediation of black stinking water in rural areas;
3. Implementation of chemical fertiliser and pesticide use reduction and efficiency measures:
4. In-depth implementation of the recycling action for agricultural films and introduction of a strict management system for agricultural films;
5. Strengthen pollution prevention and control in agriculture.

At the same time, the “Action Plan” contains four aspects of safeguards:
1. Strengthen organisational governance
2. Strengthen policy safeguard
3. Strengthen monitoring and supervision
4. Strengthen evaluation