This paper analyzes the direct enabling effects of digital village construction on food security through digital technology and digital governance effects. It also explores indirect enabling mechanisms through the optimization of industrial structure, agricultural scientific and technological innovation, and the enhancement of farmers’ digital literacy, thereby constructing a theoretical mechanism for digital village construction to promote food security. Based on this, using data from 1,238 counties from 2018 to 2022, empirical tests are conducted on its impact level, mechanisms of action, and spatiotemporal evolution characteristics. The empirical results show that digital village construction has a significant positive effect on food security, characterized by a “second leap” over time and polarization effects in space, urgently requiring policy intervention. Looking at the sub-dimensions of digital village construction, digital infrastructure and digital governance play an obvious promoting role; the significant roles of industrial structure optimization and agricultural technological innovation are already evident, while the enhancement of farmers’ digital literacy has adverse effects; from the perspective of regional heterogeneity, the promotion effect of the digital economy on food security is more pronounced in the Yangtze River Economic Belt and major grain-producing areas.