The Chinese Food Industry : Development, Constraints and Policies

Given the phenomenon of growing urbanization, the pressure on food demand for a rising population as well as changing diets, China has had to resort to imports, becoming a net importer of food. In absence of external flows, this scenario is set to continue and could then materialize in a future Malthusian scenario. Improved efficiency and productivity, reform of land use rights, but also the policy of "going out" or land grabbing are some of the plausible strategies that the country could improve to avoid an inexorable stabilization or, at worst, a decline in domestic production, as well taking into account the impact of climate change on agricultural commodities. Starting from these premises, the paper aims to analyze the existing scenario identifying constrains and policies that could prevent the development of the Chinese food industry