Changes in China's food security driven by nutrition security and resource constraints
Ze Han1, Xinqi Zheng2, Lingling Hou3
1Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101 China.
Environment, Development and Sustainability
|June 26, 2023
Summary
China's food security has improved due to a more diverse diet and effective policies. The nutrition-resources-food (NRF) system shows steady growth, narrowing urban-rural nutritional gaps.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Economics
- Environmental Science
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Sustainable natural resource utilization is crucial for China's agricultural growth.
- The interplay between environmental pressures and dietary patterns impacts food supply and demand.
- A comprehensive evaluation of China's food security, nutritional health, and resource security is needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the security of China's food nutrition-resources-food (NRF) system.
- To analyze the relationship between environmental pressure and dietary structure.
- To assess changes in dietary quality and nutritional status from 1990-2019.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of dietary patterns and nutritional status trends (1990-2019).
- Evaluation of the NRF system's pressure, status, and response indices (2000-2019).
- Assessment of urban-rural disparities in food consumption and nutrition.
Main Results:
- Significant improvement in Chinese dietary quality and nutritional status.
- Diversifying food consumption in rural areas, narrowing urban-rural gaps.
- Upward trends in NRF system indices indicate enhanced food security, driven by policy responses.
Conclusions:
- China's NRF system security has steadily grown, reflecting successful policy interventions.
- Dietary shifts towards diversity are improving nutritional outcomes nationwide.
- Continued efforts are needed to address remaining urban-rural nutritional discrepancies.
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