Food security and its importance to China

FoodsecurityanditsimportancetoChinaGlobalhungerDefinitionMeasurementPillarChallengeRiskPolicyFoodsecurityinChinaGlobalhungerTheUnitedNationsFoodandAgricultureOrganizationestimatesthatnearly870millionpeopleofthe7.1billionpeopleintheworld,oroneineight,weresufferingfromchronicundernourishmentin2010-2012.(2013WorldHungerandPovertyFactsandStatistics,WorldHungerEducationService)definitionasituationwhenallpeople,atalltimes,havephysical,socialandeconomicaccesstosufficient,safeandnutritiousfoodtomeettheirdietaryneedsandfoodpreferencesforanactiveandhealthylife.(WorldFoodSummitof1996)Table1:DefinitionoffoodsecurityandallaspectsinvolvedEveryonehasEquity:allpeopleAtalltimesStabilityoffoodavailability,accessandutilizationthroughouttheyearandovertime.Protectionagainstrisksaffectingpeople'sfoodsecurity.AccesstoTherighttofood.Peopleareentitledtoenoughfood.Affordabilityoffooddependingonpurchasingpowerandmarketprices.Ownproductiondependingonlandrights,etcAndcontroloverThepowertotakedecisionsconcerningfoodproduction,distribution,consumptionetcSufficientquantitiesEnoughfoodtomeetdailyfoodrequirements,sufficientstockathouseholdandcommunityleveltoresistshocks.OfgoodqualityfoodVarietyofnutritious,safeandculturallyappropriatefoods.ForanactiveandProperconsumptionandagoodbiologicalutilizationofhealthylifefood,resultinginanadequatenutritionalstatusofpeopleMeasurementFoodsecurityindicatorsandmeasuresarederivedfromcountrylevelhouseholdincomeandexpendituresurveystoestimatepercapitacaloricavailability.Ingeneraltheobjectiveoffoodsecurityindicatorsandmeasuresistocapturesomeorallofthemaincomponentsoffoodsecurityintermsoffoodavailability,accessandutilizationoradequacy.Foodsecurityisbuiltonthreepillars:Foodavailability:sufficientquantitiesoffoodavailableonaconsistentbasis.Foodaccess:havingsufficientresourcestoobtainappropriatefoodsforanutritiousdiet.Fooduse:appropriateusebasedonknowledgeofbasicnutritionandcare,aswellasadequatewaterandsanitation.TheWHOstatesthattherearethreepillarsthatdeterminefoodsecurity:foodavailability,foodaccess,andfooduse.TheFAOaddsafourthpillar:thestabilityofthefirstthreedimensionsoffoodsecurityovertime.In2009,theWorldSummitonFoodSecuritystatedthatthe“fourpillarsoffoodsecurityareavailability,access,utilization,andstability”.Foodstabilityreferstotheabilitytoobtainfoodovertime.ChallengestoachievingfoodsecurityGlobalwatercrisisLanddegradationLanddealsClimatechangeAgriculturaldiseasesDictatorshipandkleptocracyFoodsovereigntyRiskstofoodsecurityPopulationgrowthFossilfueldependenceHybridization,geneticengineeringandlossofbiodiversityIntellectualpropertyrightsPricesettingLandusechangeFoodpolicyAninternationalpolicyprocess,coordinatedbytheUnitedNations,hasbeenconsideringsystemicreforms.MajormeetingsinRomeinlate2009mademodestprogress.Butmuchremainstobedonetoachieverealfoodsecurityandsustainableproduction.Controloverlandandinceasingly-scarcewaterarekeyissues.AvigorousallianceofNGOs,agronomistsandfoodproducershasbeenpressingforprogressivechange.Opposingthemarethelargeagribusinesscompanies,likeMonsanto,Cargill,McDonaldsandConAgra--companiesthatnowdominatefoodpolicy,reignovertheproductionchainandshapetheentireworld'sfoodsystem.FoodsecurityinChinaWith19%oftheworld’spopulation,butjust7%oftheworld’sfarmland,Chinafacesamonumentalchallengetoestablishasustainablefoodsystem.FoodsecurityinChinameansimprovingeverypartofthefoodchain—fromsustainablefarmingpracticestoavailabilityandnutritiontosafetyandwastereduction.FoodsecurityproblemsinChinaFoodwasteImbalanceoffooddistributionNeedforfoodimportFoodsafetyproblemsDecreasingofarableland…Relatedissuesinclude:Whatisthenetimpactofthefurtherliberalizationoffoodandagriculturaltrade,consideringthewidelydifferingsituationsindevelopingcountries?Towhatextentcandomesticeconomicandsocialpolicies-andfood,agriculturalandruraldevelopmentpolicies-offsetthediverse(andpossiblynegative)impactsofinternationalpolicies,suchasthoserelatingtointernationaltrade?Howcantheoveralleconomicgainsfromtradebenefitthosewhoaremostlikelytobesufferingfromfoodinsecurity?Dogains“trickledown”toenhanceeconomicaccesstofoodforthepoor?Howcanfoodandagriculturalproductionandtradeberestrainedfromtheover-exploitationofnaturalresourcesthatmayjeopardizedomesticfoodsecurityinthelongterm?Howtoensurethatimportedfoodproductsareofacceptablequalityandsafetoeat?Foodsecurityasimportantasnationalsecurity(ChakravarthiRaghavan)Fromtheaboveitisclearthatfoodsecurityasaconceptcoversawiderangeofareas.Theconceptcutsacrossthephysicalsupplyandavailabilityoffood,themacroandmicrosocialsystemsthatdetermineentitlementstofood,nutritionalvalueandthecapacityofthebodytousefoodandothers.Atamacrolevelfoodsecuritymusttakeintoconsiderationmarketing,tradeandinformationsystems.Foodsecurityisnotjustaboutfood;it'salsoaboutsecurity--economicsecurity,environmentalsecurity,andnationalsecurity.