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Green Food Development in China: Experiences and Challenges

Author

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  • Jiuliang Xu

    (Department of Plant Nutrition, The Key Plant-Soil Interaction Laboratory, Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
    National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
    Chinese Academy of Green Food Development, Beijing 100193, China)

  • Zhihua Zhang

    (China Green Food Development Center, Beijing 100081, China)

  • Xian Zhang

    (China Green Food Development Center, Beijing 100081, China)

  • Muhammad Ishfaq

    (Department of Plant Nutrition, The Key Plant-Soil Interaction Laboratory, Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China)

  • Jiahui Zhong

    (Department of Plant Nutrition, The Key Plant-Soil Interaction Laboratory, Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China)

  • Wei Li

    (Fujian Key Laboratory of Agro-Product Quality and Safety, Fuzhou 350003, China)

  • Fusuo Zhang

    (Department of Plant Nutrition, The Key Plant-Soil Interaction Laboratory, Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
    National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
    Chinese Academy of Green Food Development, Beijing 100193, China)

  • Xuexian Li

    (Department of Plant Nutrition, The Key Plant-Soil Interaction Laboratory, Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
    National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
    Chinese Academy of Green Food Development, Beijing 100193, China)

Abstract

China feeds approximately 22% of the global population with only 7% of the global arable land because of its surprising success in intensive agriculture. This outstanding achievement is partially overshadowed by agriculture-related large-scale environmental pollution across the nation. To ensure nutrition security and environmental sustainability, China proposed the Green Food Strategy in the 1990s and set up a specialized management agency, the China Green Food Development Center, with a monitoring network for policy and standard creation, brand authorization, and product inspection. Following these 140 environmental and operational standards, 15,984 green food companies provided 36,345 kinds of products in 2019. The cultivation area and annual domestic sales (CNY 465.7 billion) of green food accounted for 8.2% of the total farmland area and 9.7% of the gross domestic product (GDP) from agriculture in China. Herein, we systemically reviewed the regulation, standards, and authorization system of green food and its current advances in China, and then outlined its environmental benefits, challenges, and probable strategies for future optimization and upscaling. The rapid development of the green food industry in China suggests an applicable triple-win strategy for protecting the environment, promoting agroeconomic development, and improving human nutrition and health in other developing countries or regions.

Suggested Citation

  • Jiuliang Xu & Zhihua Zhang & Xian Zhang & Muhammad Ishfaq & Jiahui Zhong & Wei Li & Fusuo Zhang & Xuexian Li, 2020. "Green Food Development in China: Experiences and Challenges," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-15, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:10:y:2020:i:12:p:614-:d:459001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Jiaxing Pang & Ningfei Wang & Xue Li & Xiang Li & Huiyu Wang & Xingpeng Chen, 2021. "Impact of Economic Development Level and Agricultural Water Use on Agricultural Production Scale in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-12, August.
    3. Yameng Wang & Apurbo Sarkar & Linyan Ma & Qian Wu & Feng Wei, 2021. "Measurement of Investment Potential and Spatial Distribution of Arable Land among Countries within the “Belt and Road Initiative”," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-23, September.
    4. Li, Dalei & Gao, Jianzhong, 2021. "Impact of Large-Scale Land Operation on the Development of Regional Public Brands of Agricultural Products," 2021 ASAE 10th International Conference (Virtual), January 11-13, Beijing, China 329397, Asian Society of Agricultural Economists (ASAE).
    5. Kang, Shijia & Frick, Fabian & Ait Sidhoum, Amer & Sauer, Johannes & Zheng, Shaofeng, 2023. "Does food quality certification improve eco-efficiency? Empirical evidence from Chinese vegetable production," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    6. Ayesha Mubeen & Qasim Ali Nisar & Ataul Karim Patwary & Sumaira Rehman & Waqar Ahmad, 2024. "Greening your business: nexus of green dynamic capabilities, green innovation and sustainable performance," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(9), pages 22747-22773, September.
    7. Xueyao Zhang & Hong Chen, 2021. "Green Agricultural Development Based on Information Communication Technology and the Panel Space Measurement Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-16, January.
    8. Shuai Qin & Zheying Han & Hong Chen & Haokun Wang & Cheng Guo, 2022. "High-Quality Development of Chinese Agriculture under Factor Misallocation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-20, August.
    9. Yaoyao Wang & Yuanpei Kuang, 2023. "Evaluation, Regional Disparities and Driving Mechanisms of High-Quality Agricultural Development in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-20, April.
    10. Zhongming Li & Wei Fu & Mingcan Luo & Jiancheng Chen, 2022. "The Coupling Coordination between the Competitiveness Level and Land Use Efficiency of Green Food Industry in China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-22, November.
    11. Litao Feng & Zhuo Li & Zhihui Zhao, 2021. "Extreme Climate Shocks and Green Agricultural Development: Evidence from the 2008 Snow Disaster in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-22, November.
    12. Stanley Y. B. Huang & Kuei-Hsien Chen & Yue-Shi Lee, 2021. "How to Promote Medium-Sized Farms to Adopt Environmental Strategy to Achieve Sustainable Production during the COVID-19 Pandemic?," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-8, October.
    13. Yanling Chen & Weiwei Fu & Jingyun Wang, 2022. "Evaluation and Influencing Factors of China’s Agricultural Productivity from the Perspective of Environmental Constraints," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-20, February.

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