Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Changes in Capacity of China’s Agriculture to Feed its Population


Affiliations
1 School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
 

In order to better understand whether China’s agriculture can feed its population, and how much Chinese demand for food depends on the world, the changes in capacity of China’s agriculture to feed the nation were explored. Moreover, the main food sources of energy and nutrients for the Chinese and the contribution of imported agricultural products were studied. The results show that for energy, self-sufficiency in cereals was achieved in 1970. Energy, protein, fat and superior protein provided by self-produced agricultural products could also meet the nation’s demand since 1983, 1994, 1998 and 2002 respectively. Due to opening up, the supply of energy and nutrients increased and met the nation’s demand ahead of time. Cereals have been the main source of energy and nutrients for the Chinese, but their importance has decreased. Energy and nutrients from vegetable products are substantial; however, the share of energy and nutrients from animal products has increased. The contribution rate of energy from imported products was low, but that of fat and superior protein increased rapidly and has been over the warning level of food security since 2000. Cereals, meats, eggs and vegetables, with a strong self-support capacity, are the most important food sources for the Chinese. It indicates that China has been depending on domestic production to meet its demand up to now. However, with growth in the population, optimization of nutritional structure and imbalance of the agriculture structure, the nation will have a great demand for the world’s agricultural products.

Keywords

Demand, Energy, Food Security, Nutrients, Supply.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • Information Office of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China. Food Issue in China, Foreign Languages Press, Beijing, 2001.

  • National Development and Reform Commission), National food security and long-term planning framework, 2008–2020; http://www.gov.cn/jrzg/2008-11/13/content_1148414.htm (accessed on 13 November 2008).

  • Brown, L. R., Who will feed China? World Watch, 1994 (Sept–Oct), 10–19.

  • Cao, M., Ma, S. and Han, C., Potential productivity and human carrying capacity of an agro-ecosystem: an analysis of food production potential of China. Agric. Syst., 1995, 47, 387–414.

  • Song, W. and Pijanowski, B. C., The effects of China’s cultivated land balance program on potential land productivity at a national scale. Appl. Geogr., 2014, 46, 158–170.

  • Tao, F., Zhang, S., Zhang, Z. and Rotter, R. P., Temporal and spatial changes of maize yield potentials and yield gaps in the past three decades in China. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ., 2015, 208, 12–20.

  • Yang, H. and Li, X., Cultivated land and food supply in China. Land Use Policy, 2000, 17, 73–88.

  • Fan, S. and Brzeska, J., Feeding more people on an increasingly fragile planet: China’s food and nutrition security in a national and global context. J. Integr. Agric., 2014, 13(6), 1193–1205.

  • Goggins, G. and Rau, H., Beyond calorie counting: assessing the sustainability of food provided for public consumption. J. Clean Prod., 2015, 44, 1–10.

  • Li, G., Zhao, Y. and Cui, S., Effects of urbanization on arable land requirements in China, based on food consumption patterns. Food Secur., 2013, 5, 439–449.

  • Rozelle, S. and Rosegrant, M. W., China’s past, present, and future food economy: can China continue to meet the challenges? Food Policy, 1997, 22(3), 191–200.

  • Brown, L. R. and Halweil, B., China’s water shortage could shake world food security. World Watch, 1998, 11(4), 10–18.

  • Chen, J., Rapid urbanization in China: A real challenge to soil protection and food security. Catena, 2007, 69, 1–15.

  • Xu, S. W., Li, G. Q. and Li, Z. M., China agricultural outlook for 2015–2024 based on China Agricultural Monitoring and Earlywarning System (CAMES). J. Integr. Agric., 2015, 14(9), 1889–1902.

  • Oort, P. A. J. V. et al., Assessment of rice self-sufficiency in 2025 in eight African countries. Global. Food Secur.–Agric., 2015, 5, 39–49.

  • Wu, F. and Guclu, H., Global maize trade and food security: implications from a social network model. Risk Anal., 2013, 33(12), 2168–2178.

  • Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2013 Food Balance Sheets for 42 selected countries (and updated regional aggregates), 2013; http://faostat3.fao.org/download/FB/FBS/E (accessed on 30 April 2016).

  • Chinese Nutrition Society, Chinese Dietary Reference Intakes, China Light Industry Press, Beijing, 2000.

  • General Office of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, China Food and Nutrition Development Outline, 2014–2020; http://www.gov.cn/xxgk/pub/govpublic/mrlm/201402/t201-40208_66624.html (accessed on 28 January 2014).

  • FAO, Food Balance Sheets: A Handbook; ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/011/x9892e/x9892e00.pdf (accessed on 27 April 2014).

  • Department of Population and Employment Statistics of National Bureau of Statistics of China. China Population and Employment Statistical Yearbook, China Statistics Press, Beijing, 2011.

  • Department of Population Statistics of National Bureau of Statistics of China. China Population Statistical Yearbook 1993, China Statistics Press, Beijing, 1993.

  • Department of Population, Social, Science and Technology Statistics of National Bureau of Statistics of China. China Population Statistical Yearbook 2003, China Statistics Press, Beijing, 2003.

  • National Bureau of Statistics of China. China Statistical Yearbook 2015, China Statistics Press, Beijing, 2015.


Abstract Views: 421

PDF Views: 146




  • Changes in Capacity of China’s Agriculture to Feed its Population

Abstract Views: 421  |  PDF Views: 146

Authors

Yan Zhang
School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Hong Zhang
School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Xiaohui Yang
School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China

Abstract


In order to better understand whether China’s agriculture can feed its population, and how much Chinese demand for food depends on the world, the changes in capacity of China’s agriculture to feed the nation were explored. Moreover, the main food sources of energy and nutrients for the Chinese and the contribution of imported agricultural products were studied. The results show that for energy, self-sufficiency in cereals was achieved in 1970. Energy, protein, fat and superior protein provided by self-produced agricultural products could also meet the nation’s demand since 1983, 1994, 1998 and 2002 respectively. Due to opening up, the supply of energy and nutrients increased and met the nation’s demand ahead of time. Cereals have been the main source of energy and nutrients for the Chinese, but their importance has decreased. Energy and nutrients from vegetable products are substantial; however, the share of energy and nutrients from animal products has increased. The contribution rate of energy from imported products was low, but that of fat and superior protein increased rapidly and has been over the warning level of food security since 2000. Cereals, meats, eggs and vegetables, with a strong self-support capacity, are the most important food sources for the Chinese. It indicates that China has been depending on domestic production to meet its demand up to now. However, with growth in the population, optimization of nutritional structure and imbalance of the agriculture structure, the nation will have a great demand for the world’s agricultural products.

Keywords


Demand, Energy, Food Security, Nutrients, Supply.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv114%2Fi02%2F280-291