China's agriculture goes global

Beijing

CHINA is the world's second-largest economy but, ironically, food security is emerging as one of the main concerns for the country's communist leaders. During a visit to an Argentinian farm in July, Chinese President Xi Jinping said: "If China is going to grow, it must solve its grain problem for its 1.3 billion population first." Measures taken by China to address the problem - going to the world - may not be a panacea.

As China grows wealthier, food consumption and diet have undergone a dramatic transformation. Between 1985 and 2005, meat consumption in China quadrupled, reaching 59.5 kilograms per person a year, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. Meat consumption is likely to continue to increase in coming years as more Chinese are expected to join the ranks of the expanding middle class. By 2020, meat consumption is expected to grow by 35 per cent from the current levels.