Will China be able to sustain its growth in terms of food security?

The rise of China as an agricultural superpower over the next decade has profound geopolitical impacts, and the concept of food security (defined as ‘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’) within its borders should be assessed afresh. It is submitted that despite China's population growth and changes in diet, China will be able to raise self-sufficiently animal products and other foods for humans. As a matter of fact, citizens of developing and less developed countries do not simply want to have the ability to eat the necessary amount of food to survive, but rather they are also seeking to have an healthier consumption. Regarding to China, most of the studies that were carried out during the 1990s actually believed the contrary, and have exacerbated the problem for several reasons. In this chpapter Professor Simpson advances some arguments in order to show why the studies that were made were inaccurate or incorrect, concluding with the fact that indeed China would be able to feed itself in the future. China’s agricultural sector has improved dramatically along with its general economy and it is projected that it will achieve superpower status as the nation turns into a fully economically developed country. China will increasingly have the power to influence trade decisions and use that power as it develops economically. The crucial question is that the excesses of globalization regarding food and agriculture can be managed only by paying adequate attention to “Non-Trade Concerns” (NTCs). Those "non economic" concerns has therefore to be taken into account in present and future regional and bilateral negotiations as well as international ones. China has to recognize its obligations for fair and equitable treatment of trade partners, because economic efficiency - ethically and legally - should be balanced against other values.

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