[Objective] The distribution and differences in new productive forces of food and their coupling coordination in grain functional areas were explored，in order to provide a decision-making reference for promoting the development of new productive forces of food and guaranteeing food security in China. [Methods] Based on panel data of 30 provinces (Excluding Xizang Autonomous Region, Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions and Taiwan Province) in China from 2012 to 2022, we constructed an index system of new productive forces in food from the three dimensions of scientific and technological productivity, green productivity, and digital productivity using the entropy weighted-TOPSIS method, coupling coordination model, and spatial correlation model. [Results] ① China’s new productive forces of food level had been growing steadily, and all grain functional areas had been improved, but there was a development pattern of “grain main marketing area > grain main production area > production and marketing balance area”; in the three-dimensional system, scientific and technological productivity and digital productivity had improved significantly both at the national scale and in each grain functional area, while green productivity was relatively stable and needs to be developed. ② The coupling and coordination degree of China’s three-dimensional system of new productive forces of food had gradually increased, and had been transformed from a low-level coordination to a medium degree of coupling and coordination, but the coupling and coordination degree of grain production and marketing balance area was still relatively low. ③ The spatial structure of coupling and coordination degree of new productive forces of food showed a high degree of agglomeration to the main grain producing area and main grain marketing area, while the significant cold spot area was concentrated in the grain production and marketing balance area. [Conclusion] There is a need to increase research & development investment in the grain balance of production and marketing zones, focus on promoting the development of green productivity, and encourage spatial coupling between the balance of production and marketing zones and main grain marketing zones to promote the development of new-quality grain productivity.