Evolution Characteristics of Cultivated Land Protection Policy in China Based on Smith Policy Implementation

(1) Background: In the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and based on the historical evolution of cultivated land protection policy, we used the Smith model to address the problem of policy implementation bias and provide recommendations on how to ensure that cultivated land protection policy does not deviate in the implementation process. (2) Methods: The historical evolution process of China’s cultivated land protection policy was elucidated using literature analysis and the inductive deduction method; moreover, the issues regarding local evolution were investigated. In addition, utilizing the Smith model, which has an important role in policy implementation, the restoration direction of cultivated land protection in China was summarized. (3) Project: China’s cultivated land protection policy has demonstrated success in two stages of its historical development—from the basic stage of pursuing equal quantity and quality to the new stage of the trinity of “quantity–quality–ecology” of cultivated land. However, the trend of cultivated land protection policy development based on the regional division of labor in China still has some problems, i.e., the total quantity of cultivated land is insufficient, the quality is low, and the implementation of the trinity is unclear. These regional divisions depend on solving the balance of China’s grain security, and using the Smith model to solve the problem of policy implementation has become an important measure to resolve the issue of grain security and achieve the goal of cultivated land protection. (4) Conclusions: The Smith model is suitable for the implementation of China’s cultivated land protection policy. By utilizing the Smith model, the policy target group was found to be conducive to contributing to the maturity of and improvement in China’s cultivated land protection policy.