A major strategic goal and task of governments around the globe is ensuring adequate nutrition for the country´s population and thus providing sufficient food security. On the supranational level, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has committed itself to this task and continuously works towards combating hunger and malnutrition worldwide. At the World Food Summit in Rome in 1996, the organization and 186 country leaders developed a framework and complex definition of food security that is still valid today: “Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life” (World Food Summit 1996). This definition reflects the complexity and multidimensionality of the topic, as it includes a sufficient availability of qualitative valuable food, access to adequate nutritional resources, as well as stability and utilization. The latter emphasizes the inherent need for complementary resources like clean water and sanitary facilities, whereas the dimension of stability adds the indispensability of resilience and predictability of sufficient food resources to prevent losing access to food due to external shocks.
Likewise, food itself is also multidimensional. As it is needed continually and on a regular basis, timing and daily availability are central requirements. Additionally, food must be available at a reasonable price at the market and moreover fulfils socio-cultural functions. As each culture has its own diet traditions and norms, not everything edible is socially or culturally accepted. Constraints and preferences must therefore be considered when assessing a country´s food security. To evaluate the development of China´s food security over the last three decades, this paper analyzes the aspect of food availability by elaborating the development of the country´s meat and crop production, its import and export volumes as well as its population size and diet habits. Thereafter, major challenges for food security in China, such as an unsustainable use of resources, the impact of climate change and of urbanization, are illustrated. The discussion is then followed by an outlook on promising and viable solutions to maintain and further increase China's future food availability and thus meet the central requirement of national food security.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Development of Chinese food security over the last 30 years
2.1 Meat and crop production
2.2 Import and export volumes
2.3 Population size and diet habits
3 Major challenges
3.1 Unsustainable use of resources
3.2 Climate change
3.3 Urbanization
4 Viable solutions
4.1 Yield increase
4.2 Diet change
5 Conclusion
Research Objectives and Key Themes
This paper examines the evolution of China's food security over the past thirty years, evaluating how the nation has balanced increasing domestic demand with limited natural resources. It explores the interplay between agricultural productivity, shifting dietary habits, and the environmental impacts of rapid development to determine the viability of future food availability.
- The historical development of meat and crop production in China.
- The impact of demographic changes, urbanization, and evolving consumer diets.
- Major environmental and structural challenges, including climate change and resource scarcity.
- Technological and policy-driven solutions to maintain national food security.
Excerpt from the Publication
2.1 Meat and crop production
The last thirty years exhibit a massive increase in Chinese meat demand and thus production, reaching its current maximum at 2015 with nearly 88 million tons (see FAO 2021: 171). In 2019, more than 77 million tons were produced domestically, among them primarily pork and chicken meat. Per capita, this accounts for 39 kg of pork meat and 14 kg of poultry, resulting in 63,68 kg annual meat consumption (see Ourworldindata 2022a). Nation-wide, the meat production increased massively from 28,11 million tons in 1990 to the two point sixfold with 75,37 million tons 30 years later (see Ourworldindata 2022a), being followed by 88,87 million tons in 2021 (see Statista 2022). While meat consumption is rising, most of China´s total calorie supply is still extracted from vegetable products, mainly grains, leading to the use of the word grain security as synonym for food security in China (see FAO 2021: 30; Sun 2022; Wang 2019: 1 f.; Ye et al. 2012: 367; Zhang/Cheng 2016: 23; Zhou 2010: 254).
China´s grain production grew tremendously since 1978, as well as the output of fruits, meat, eggs, and fish (see Ourworldindata 2022b; Wang 2019: 3). One major reason for this is not the expansion of agricultural land, but instead the increase in yields in recent decades. While one hectare yielded on average 4.32 tons of cereals in 1990, 6.30 tons could be reaped from the same arable land in 2020 (see Ourworldindata 2022b). Thus, the total annual agricultural output has more than tripled from USD 344.82 billion in 1990 to USD 1.03 trillion in 2019 (see Ourworldindata 2022c). This increase was realized without a significant expansion of the agricultural land use in China.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Provides a comprehensive definition of food security and outlines the scope of the analyze regarding China’s development in food availability.
2 Development of Chinese food security over the last 30 years: Details the significant growth in meat and crop production, shifts in trade volumes, and the influence of population growth and changing diet habits.
3 Major challenges: Analyzes the detrimental effects of intensive resource use, climate change, and rapid urbanization on the Chinese agricultural sector.
4 Viable solutions: Investigates potential strategies for future food security, focusing on technological yield enhancements and necessary dietary transformations.
5 Conclusion: Summarizes the current state of China's food security and highlights the government's role in implementing sustainable practices to navigate future risks.
Keywords
Food security, China, agriculture, crop production, meat consumption, urbanization, climate change, sustainability, grain security, arable land, resource management, yield increase, dietary habits, food policy, food availability.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper focuses on the development of China’s national food security over the last 30 years, analyzing how the country has managed to meet the growing dietary demands of its population despite significant environmental and structural challenges.
What are the central thematic fields?
The core themes include agricultural production, shifts in consumer consumption patterns, the environmental cost of agricultural intensification, the impact of climate change, and the role of urbanization in resource distribution.
What is the central research question?
The research evaluates the development of food availability in China and identifies the major challenges and viable future solutions required to maintain and improve national food security.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The paper utilizes a literature-based analysis, synthesizing data from sources such as the FAO, USDA, and academic studies to evaluate historical trends and future scenarios regarding Chinese food security.
What topics are discussed within the main chapters?
The main chapters cover the historical growth of production (meat and grains), analyze key challenges such as resource degradation and urbanization, and propose solutions like technological innovation and dietary shifts.
What keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include food security, grain security, sustainable agriculture, China, yield increase, urbanization, and resource management.
How has the "one child policy" influenced the analysis of food security?
The paper notes that the implementation of the policy resulted in lower total population growth than originally forecasted, which, combined with an aging population, creates labor constraints for the agricultural sector.
Why are potatoes considered a significant part of the strategy?
Potatoes are promoted by the Chinese government as a "fourth staple food" due to their high climatic resilience, lower resource requirements, and high yield potential, which helps mitigate grain supply gaps.
What is the role of meat consumption in China’s current food policy?
The government aims to curb the significant rise in meat consumption—targeting a decrease by 50% by 2030—to alleviate the pressure on agricultural resources and encourage a more sustainable, plant-based diet.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Anonym (Autor:in), 2022, Sustainabilitiy in China. China's food security over the last 30 years, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1451459
