China will encourage sustainability in agriculture through improved efficiency and environmental protection, according to a policy document released on Wednesday.

Policies and technological support will be improved to protect agricultural resources and raise efficiency in using them, preventing the resources from being tapped excessively and extensively, according to the document.

China will follow its "red-line" system strictly to guarantee that the amount of land dedicated to arable farming shall never shrink to less than 120 million hectares.H Farmland will be protected in "quantity, quality and biodiversity," it said, reiterating a ban on turning woodland into farmland.

Policies and technology should be improved to prevent further pollution in agricultural production and support will be given to recycling farming.

Biodiversity protection will be boosted. By 2020, woodland coverage will be above 23 percent and wetland acrage will be above 53 million hectares.

In order to boost food safety, China will make its national standards on the residue of pesticide and veterinary drugs in food to be on par with international standards by 2020, according to the document, which was released by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council.