scholarly journals Integrating Agricultural Diversification in China’s Major Policies for Sustainable and Resilient Crop Production

Author(s):  
Thomas Wanger ◽  
Xueqing He ◽  
Wolfgang Weisser ◽  
Yi Zou ◽  
Shenggen Fan ◽  
...  

Abstract Agricultural diversification of intensified farming systems is being proposed as a solution for achieving both food security and agricultural sustainability, but so far there has been little implementation of such policy at a larger scale. In China, major policies promote the “High-standard farmland consolidation” (HSFC) strategy to improve productivity and reduce environmental degradation in the world’s largest food production areas by simplifying instead of diversifying landscapes on large instead of small fields. As China’s Central government is asking for scientific innovations to improve its sustainable development strategy, we argue that China can become a role model to integrate agricultural diversification in its major policies, if HSFC builds on five decades of diversification research to achieve the national food security and sustainable development goals. We use text mining to analyze the past 17 years of China’s most important agricultural policy, the No. 1 Central Documents (1CD) policy and show that agricultural diversification at the field and supply chain level has received limited attention. Based on global synthesis studies covering five decades of research, we provide practical recommendations of how to integrate agricultural diversification in the China’s major policies from the national (the National 5-Year Plan and 1CD) to the provincial level. We use the major agricultural commodities rice, tea, wheat, and rapeseed in Zhejiang province as a case study to discuss how diversification can help to reach China’s sustainable agriculture targets. Diversification of China’s major food production areas on small fields could be an important example globally of how scientific progress informs policy and facilitates the food system transition.

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 ◽  
pp. 08004
Author(s):  
M.G. Manucharyan

One of the most important components of national security is food security. The country's food security is mainly ensured through the development of agriculture, food production and food import systems. The main problems of the development of the agri-food system of the republic were the increase of the level of provision of the population with food, the increase of the level of economic protection of the country, which, first of all, requires an increase of agricultural production to provide the population with locally produced food products, raw materials to the processing industry as much as possible, as well as to increase export volumes. The main goal of the research is to develop and outline the ways of further development of the RA food self-sufficiency based on the development of agricultural production. Based on the analysis of the current situation in the agricultural market, to propose a set of economic development measures, which will contribute to the increase of the food security level, the development of the agri-food system, the reduction of the poverty level of the rural communities. The research substantiated the preconditions for further growth of agricultural production, as a result of comprehensive studies and analyzes, the main directions of improving food production and increasing efficiency were outlined, which conditioned the scientific novelty.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Doelman ◽  
Tom Kram ◽  
Benjamin Bodirsky ◽  
Isabelle Weindle ◽  
Elke Stehfest

<p>The human population has substantially grown and become wealthier over the last decades. These developments have led to major increases in the use of key natural resources such as food, energy and water causing increased pressure on the environment throughout the world. As these trends are projected to continue into the foreseeable future, a crucial question is how the provision of resources as well as the quality of the environment can be managed sustainably.</p><p>Environmental quality and resource provision are intricately linked. For example, food production depends on availability of water, land suitable for agriculture, and favourable climatic circumstances. In turn, food production causes climate change due to greenhouse gas emissions, and affects biodiversity through conversion of natural vegetation to agriculture and through the effects of excessive fertilizer and use of pesticides. There are many examples of the complex interlinkages between different production systems and environmental issues. To handle this complexity the nexus concept has been introduced which recognizes that different sectors are inherently interconnected and must be investigated in an integrated, holistic manner.</p><p>Until now, the nexus literature predominantly exists of local studies or qualitative descriptions. This study present the first qualitative, multi-model nexus study at the global scale, based on scenarios simultaneously developed with the MAgPIE land use model and the IMAGE integrated assessment model. The goal is to quantify synergies and trade-offs between different sectors of the water-land-energy-food-climate nexus in the context of sustainable development goals (SDGs). Each scenario is designed to substantially improve one of the nexus sectors water, land, energy, food or climate. A number of indicators that capture important aspects of both the nexus sectors and related SDGs is selected to assess whether these scenarios provide synergies or trade-offs with other nexus sectors, and to quantify the effects. Additionally a scenario is developed that aims to optimize policy action across nexus sectors providing an example of a holistic approach that achieves multiple sustainable development goals.</p><p>The results of this study highlight many synergies and trade-offs. For example, an important trade-off exists between climate change policy and food security targets: large-scale implementation of bio-energy and afforestation to achieve stringent climate targets negatively impacts food security. An interesting synergy exists between the food, water and climate sectors: promoting healthy diets reduces water use, improves water quality and increases the uptake of carbon by forests.</p>


Foods ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 137
Author(s):  
Yujia Lu ◽  
Yongxun Zhang ◽  
Yu Hong ◽  
Lulu He ◽  
Yangfen Chen

Food system transformation has been a widely discussed topic in international society over time. For the last few decades, China has made remarkable achievements in food production and has contributed greatly to the reduction in global hunger and poverty. Examining experiences and lessons from China’s food security practices over the years is helpful to promote a national food system transformation for China, as well as other developing countries. This study systematically reviews the literature on Chinese food security studies, with the aim of assessing China’s food security achievements and examining the remaining and emerging issues in the pursuit of food system transformation. The results show that China has continuously promoted food system transformation in land consolidation, agri-food production technologies, management and organization modes, food reserves, trade governance, and food consumption. These transformations ensure not only food availability, timeliness, and nutrition, but also in terms of the ecological, social, and economic sustainability, feasibility, and justice of food security. However, China is also confronting new challenges in food security, for example, malnutrition, environmental unsustainability, and reductions in diversified agri-food. In the future, China is expected to be committed to promoting healthy diets, sustainable agricultural production, climate change mitigation, and the reduction of food waste and loss to enhance its agri-food system’s resilience.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 14005
Author(s):  
Jingpeng Guo ◽  
Kebiao Mao ◽  
Zijin Yuan ◽  
Zhihao Qin ◽  
Tongren Xu ◽  
...  

Quantified components of the global food system are used to assess long-term global food security under a series of socio-economic, epidemic normalization and climate change scenarios. Here, we evaluate the global food security including the global farming system as well as the global food trade, reserve and loss systems from 1961 to 2019, and analyze their temporal and spatial characteristics by using the global food vulnerability (GFV) model. The spatio–temporal patterns of the vulnerability of the global food system were consistent with the GFSI. As food production and consumption vary greatly in different countries which have continued for a long time, food exports from many developed agricultural countries have compensated for food shortages in most countries (about 120 net grain-importing countries). As a result, many countries have relied heavily on food imports to maintain their domestic food supplies, ultimately causing the global food trade stability to have an increasing impact on the food security of most countries. The impact of global food trade on global food security increased from 9% to 17% during 1961–2019, which has increased the vulnerability of the global food system. The food damage in the United States, Russia, China, and India has varied significantly, and global cereal stocks have fluctuated even more since 2000. From 1961 to 2019, the food system security of some Nordic countries significantly improved, while the food system security of most African countries significantly deteriorated. Most countries with high food insecurity are located in Africa and South Asia. In order to cope with extreme events, these countries need to strengthen and improve their own food production and storage systems, which will help the World Food and Agriculture Organization to formulate relevant food policies and maintain sustainable development.


2019 ◽  
pp. 1630-1659
Author(s):  
Corina Ene ◽  
Marian Cătălin Voica ◽  
Mirela Panait

Green investments are the perfect tool to generate complex self-regenerating systems in order to achieve a sustainable development. Even if the burden of transition from high polluting economy to a green economy is high, the cost should be split among all that have interest in achieving this goal. The switch to green is an international current that will ultimately force the change if it is not made willingly. All parties have an interest to promote change before the change gets them on the wrong foot. In this regard, the chapter aims to emphasizing the potential benefits of the transition to a green economy in terms of reducing poverty, enhancing food security, nutrition and health on a sustainable basis while promoting ecosystem stability. Thus, increased green investments throughout the food system are imperatively needed so that changing the way food is obtained could become a powerful force for sustainable development.


Author(s):  
Malati Kaini

The 2007-2008 food crises and the renewed surge in food prices in 2010-2011 have exposed deep structural problems in the global food system and the need to increase food production. The World Food Summit of 1996 defined food security as existing "when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life". Despite Nepal has no worse food and nutrition security situation among SAARC countries, there are some districts where food is always in shortage. The explicit constitutional recognition of the right to food and other related provisions in articles 36 and 42 of the new constitution will be instrumental for implementing food security programs in the country. Food security for poor people is based on sustainable food production. Many proven technologies and improved practices have the promise to boost agricultural production and ensure food security in developing countries like Nepal. Food and Nutrition security program (FANUSEP) is one of the flagship programs of Agriculture Development Strategy 2015-2035 (ADS), which is in the first phase of its implementation. It aims at improving the food and nutrition security of the most disadvantaged groups of the population.


2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 186-197
Author(s):  
Shashi Bala Singh ◽  

The goals of sustainable development are to end hunger, achieve food security and improve nutritional status. Food security is dependent on agriculture in two ways: firstly, it ensures the supply of food grains and secondly, provides the livelihood for 36% (source) of the total workforce. Agriculture, in turn, is dependent on climate. Therefore, climate change, implying any alteration in parameters such as temperature and humidity, govern crop growth and therefore has a consequential impact on the quantity of food grains produced, gradually affecting the food security of a region. With this chain of understanding, an attempt has been made in this paper to analyse the impact of climate change on agricultural production in Fatehpur district of Ganga-Yamuna Doab, a region that experiences challenges for food security due to both low agricultural production and lack of nutritious food. Secondary data has been used in the context of food security of the area.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. i19-i23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Grosso ◽  
Alberto Mateo ◽  
Natalie Rangelov ◽  
Tatjana Buzeti ◽  
Christopher Birt

Abstract The 2030 Agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represents a common framework of international cooperation to promote sustainable development. Nutrition is the key point for the SDG 2 ‘End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture’ and is an essential component for achieving many of the other targets: overall, the nutritional aspects of the SDGs aim to promote healthy and sustainable diets and ensure food security globally. While undernutrition is of minimal concern in the European Union Member States, trends in childhood obesity are still alarming and far from any desirable target. European food production systems have improved over the last years, with immediate impact on several environmental aspects; however, a comprehensive regulatory framework to fulfil the environmental and climate targets is still lacking. Policy actions at multinational level are needed to achieve global nutrition targets designed to guide progress towards tackling all forms of malnutrition while preserving the environment through virtuous food production and food systems.


2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 227
Author(s):  
Aparna Nayak

Global food security is one of the most unrelenting issues for humanity, and agricultural production is not sufficient in accomplishing this. However, earlier analyses of agricultural food production barely ever bring out the contrasts associated with economic development and different climatic zones. The world population is increasing day by day and climate change will be causing more extreme weather, higher temperatures and changed precipitation. The crop contributes about 20 % of the total dietary calories and proteins globally. There is 1% annual growth in food demand in the developing regions. The developing regions (including China and Central Asia) account for roughly 53 % of the total harvested area and 50 % of the production. Although, unmatched productivity growth from the Green Revolution since the 1960s dramatically transformed world food production, benefitting both producers and consumers through low production costs and low food prices. One of the key challenges today is to replace today’s food system with new ones for better sustainability. While the Green Revolution freed essential ecosystems from conversion to agriculture, it also created its own ecological problems. Moreover productivity increase is now slow or stagnant. Attaining the productivity gains needed to ensure food security will therefore require more than a repeat performance of the Green Revolution of the past. Future demand will need to be achieved through sustainable intensification that combines better crop resistance plants, adaptation to warmer climates, and less use of water, fuel, fertilizer, and labor. Meeting these challenges will require concerted efforts in research and innovation to develop and set up feasible solutions. Necessary investment will be required to realize sustainable productivity growth through better technologies and policy and institutional innovations that facilitate farmer adoption and adaptation. The persistent lessons from the Green Revolution and the recent efforts for sustainable escalation of food systems in South Asia and other developing nations will definitely providing useful insights for the future.


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