{"id":3398,"date":"2021-06-10T07:00:38","date_gmt":"2021-06-10T01:30:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/55nda.com\/blogs\/anil-khosla\/?p=3398"},"modified":"2024-12-27T15:45:34","modified_gmt":"2024-12-27T10:15:34","slug":"knowing-china-better-food-security","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/55nda.com\/blogs\/anil-khosla\/2021\/06\/10\/knowing-china-better-food-security\/","title":{"rendered":"128: Knowing China Better: Food Security"},"content":{"rendered":"

Achieving food security has been a long standing priority for the CCP. With a little over 1.4 billion people, China possesses almost one-fifth of the world\u2019s population but less than one-tenth of the world\u2019s total arable land. Although China\u2019s per capita grain production (1036 lbs) exceeds the international average (882 lbs), it remains the world\u2019s largest food importer.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Food Security Concerns<\/u>. Strong Chinese demand continued to raise grain prices to record highs into 2021. In 2020, China bought record amounts of non-rice grains and oilseeds including wheat, sorghum and soybeans. Although the government said that the 2020 summer harvest produced \u201call-time high\u201d outputs, anecdotal reports of grain shortages led farmers to hoard crops and state purchases of grain reserves declined.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Contributing Factors<\/u>. Food security concerns have arisen due to coronavirus pandemic, a 2019-2020 outbreak of swine fever, and historic flooding, droughts, and typhoons. A growing middle class and changing consumption patterns further add to the problem, while urbanization continues to shrink both available farmland and the rural labour supply.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Top Down Down Concerted Effort<\/u>. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for developing basic self-sufficiency in grain production. Food security was enshrined last year as one of \u201csix guarantees\u201d that the central government \u00a0\u00a0would prioritize as it sought to address economic uncertainties arising from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Food security, specifically addressing the two problems of \u201cseeds and arable land,\u201d was also listed as one of eight key priorities areas. The first joint policy statement of the CCP Central Committee and the State Council issued in 2021, was dedicated to the topic of food security. China has mobilized its substantial state resources to elevate food security to a national security priority in the 14th FYP.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Mitigation Strategy<\/u>.<\/span><\/p>\n