IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2022i1p451-d1016859.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Comprehensive Evaluation of Food Security in China and Its Obstacle Factors

Author

Listed:
  • Yan Zhang

    (School of Public Policy and Administration, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
    Gongqing Institute of Science and Technology, Jiujiang 332020, China)

  • Xiaoyong Lu

    (School of Public Policy and Administration, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
    Gongqing Institute of Science and Technology, Jiujiang 332020, China)

Abstract

China’s food security has attracted global attention as the various drivers of its instability and uncertainty have intensified. This study developed a new framework for food security evaluation in China by analyzing its availability, distribution, utilization, vulnerability, sustainability, and regulation. The entropy weight method (EWM) and the matter–element extension model (MEEM) were combined to examine China’s food security status between 2001 and 2020. Additionally, an obstacle degree model (ODM) was used to investigate the key factors functioning as obstacles to food security. The results show that China’s overall food security improved greatly but experienced a slight downward trend in 2003. The main obstacles initially entailed grain distribution but then spread to vulnerability- and sustainability-related issues. Ultimately, the key factors restricting China’s food security were the amount of fertilizer application per unit sown area (AFA) and the grain self-sufficiency rate (GSR). The next 40 years could be the most critical period for ensuring China’s food security, which incorporates demographic, climate change, and resource shortage factors. China appears to be implementing its national strategies through sustainable farmland use and agricultural technology innovation to facilitate the high-quality development of its grain industries and strengthen its food security. This study provides an overall picture of China’s food security and can serve as a reference for those concerned with China’s future national security.

Suggested Citation

  • Yan Zhang & Xiaoyong Lu, 2022. "A Comprehensive Evaluation of Food Security in China and Its Obstacle Factors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-17, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2022:i:1:p:451-:d:1016859
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/1/451/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/1/451/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cheng Han & Shengbo Chen & Yan Yu & Zhengyuan Xu & Bingxue Zhu & Xitong Xu & Zibo Wang, 2021. "Evaluation of Agricultural Land Suitability Based on RS, AHP, and MEA: A Case Study in Jilin Province, China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-23, April.
    2. Qinglong Ding & Yang Chen & Lingtong Bu & Yanmei Ye, 2021. "Multi-Scenario Analysis of Habitat Quality in the Yellow River Delta by Coupling FLUS with InVEST Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-19, March.
    3. Asad Sarwar Qureshi & Chris Perry, 2021. "Managing Water and Salt for Sustainable Agriculture in the Indus Basin of Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-14, May.
    4. El Houssine Bartali & Mohamed Boutfirass & Yigezu Atnafe Yigezu & Abdoul Aziz Niane & Mohamed Boughlala & Mohammed Belmakki & Habib Halila, 2022. "Estimates of Food Losses and Wastes at Each Node of the Wheat Value Chain in Morocco: Implications on Food and Energy Security, Natural Resources, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-26, December.
    5. Mohamed Esham & Brent Jacobs & Hewage Sunith Rohitha Rosairo & Balde Boubacar Siddighi, 2018. "Climate change and food security: a Sri Lankan perspective," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 1017-1036, June.
    6. Wenbin Wu & Peng Yang & Huajun Tang & Liangzhi You & Qingbo Zhou & Zhongxin Chen & Ryosuke Shibasaki, 2011. "Global-scale assessment of potential future risks of food insecurity," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(9), pages 1143-1160, October.
    7. Lu, Shibao & Bai, Xiao & Li, Wei & Wang, Ning, 2019. "Impacts of climate change on water resources and grain production," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 76-84.
    8. Kang, Shaozhong & Hao, Xinmei & Du, Taisheng & Tong, Ling & Su, Xiaoling & Lu, Hongna & Li, Xiaolin & Huo, Zailin & Li, Sien & Ding, Risheng, 2017. "Improving agricultural water productivity to ensure food security in China under changing environment: From research to practice," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 5-17.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Dian Charity Hidayat & Kosuke Mizuno & Chairil Abdini Abidin Said & Herdis Herdiansyah, 2023. "Implementation Framework for Transformation of Peat Ecosystems to Support Food Security," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-17, February.
    2. Mina Kovljenić & Bojan Matkovski & Danilo Đokić, 2024. "Competitiveness and Cereal Self-Sufficiency in Western Balkan Countries," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-23, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. He, Liuyue & Xu, Zhenci & Wang, Sufen & Bao, Jianxia & Fan, Yunfei & Daccache, Andre, 2022. "Optimal crop planting pattern can be harmful to reach carbon neutrality: Evidence from food-energy-water-carbon nexus perspective," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 308(C).
    2. Cao, Zhaodan & Zhu, Tingju & Cai, Ximing, 2023. "Hydro-agro-economic optimization for irrigated farming in an arid region: The Hetao Irrigation District, Inner Mongolia," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).
    3. Zhang, Shulin & Su, Xiaoling & Singh, Vijay P & Ayantobo, Olusola Olaitan & Xie, Juan, 2018. "Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) decomposition analysis of changes in agricultural water use: a case study of the middle reaches of the Heihe River basin, China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 208(C), pages 422-430.
    4. El-Saied E. Metwaly & Hatim M. Al-Yasi & Esmat F. Ali & Hamada A. Farouk & Saad Farouk, 2022. "Deteriorating Harmful Effects of Drought in Cucumber by Spraying Glycinebetaine," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-16, December.
    5. Yang, Danni & Li, Sien & Kang, Shaozhong & Du, Taisheng & Guo, Ping & Mao, Xiaomin & Tong, Ling & Hao, Xinmei & Ding, Risheng & Niu, Jun, 2020. "Effect of drip irrigation on wheat evapotranspiration, soil evaporation and transpiration in Northwest China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 232(C).
    6. Dániel Fróna & János Szenderák & Mónika Harangi-Rákos, 2019. "The Challenge of Feeding the World," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-18, October.
    7. Ran, Hui & Kang, Shaozhong & Li, Fusheng & Du, Taisheng & Tong, Ling & Li, Sien & Ding, Risheng & Zhang, Xiaotao, 2018. "Parameterization of the AquaCrop model for full and deficit irrigated maize for seed production in arid Northwest China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 203(C), pages 438-450.
    8. Zhang, Fengtai & Xiao, Yuedong & Gao, Lei & Ma, Dalai & Su, Ruiqi & Yang, Qing, 2022. "How agricultural water use efficiency varies in China—A spatial-temporal analysis considering unexpected outputs," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    9. Li, Zhi & Fang, Gonghuan & Chen, Yaning & Duan, Weili & Mukanov, Yerbolat, 2020. "Agricultural water demands in Central Asia under 1.5 °C and 2.0 °C global warming," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).
    10. Miodrag Tolimir & Branka Kresović & Katarina Gajić & Violeta Anđelković & Milan Brankov & Marijana Dugalić & Boško Gajić, 2024. "Integrated effect of irrigation rate and plant density on yield, yield components and water use efficiency of maize," Plant, Soil and Environment, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 70(8), pages 475-482.
    11. Song, Yuegang & Zhang, Bicheng & Wang, Jianhua & Kwek, Keh, 2022. "The impact of climate change on China's agricultural green total factor productivity," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    12. Samira Shayanmehr & Jana Ivanič Porhajašová & Mária Babošová & Mahmood Sabouhi Sabouni & Hosein Mohammadi & Shida Rastegari Henneberry & Naser Shahnoushi Foroushani, 2022. "The Impacts of Climate Change on Water Resources and Crop Production in an Arid Region," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-22, July.
    13. Feng Zhou & Chunhui Wen, 2023. "Research on the Level of Agricultural Green Development, Regional Disparities, and Dynamic Distribution Evolution in China from the Perspective of Sustainable Development," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-47, July.
    14. Dike Zhang & Jianpeng Wang & Ying Wang & Lei Xu & Liang Zheng & Bowen Zhang & Yuzhe Bi & Hui Yang, 2022. "Is There a Spatial Relationship between Urban Landscape Pattern and Habitat Quality? Implication for Landscape Planning of the Yellow River Basin," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-17, September.
    15. Waldemar Bojar & Wojciech Żarski & Renata Kuśmierek-Tomaszewska & Jacek Żarski & Piotr Baranowski & Jaromir Krzyszczak & Krzysztof Lamorski & Cezary Sławiński & Konstadinos Mattas & Christos Staboulis, 2023. "A Comprehensive Approach to Assess the Impact of Agricultural Production Factors on Selected Ecosystem Services in Poland," Resources, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-19, August.
    16. Xiukang Wang, 2022. "Managing Land Carrying Capacity: Key to Achieving Sustainable Production Systems for Food Security," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-21, March.
    17. Liang, Jiaping & Shi, Wenjuan & He, Zijian & Pang, Linna & Zhang, Yanchao, 2019. "Effects of poly-γ-glutamic acid on water use efficiency, cotton yield, and fiber quality in the sandy soil of southern Xinjiang, China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 218(C), pages 48-59.
    18. Linlin Fu & Jiajun Min & Cheng Luo & Xiaohong Mao & Ziqi Liu, 2024. "The Impact of Digitalization on Agricultural Green Development: Evidence from China’s Provinces," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-18, October.
    19. Liu, Mengyu & Zhou, Xiong & Huang, Guohe & Li, Yongping, 2024. "The increasing water stress projected for China could shift the agriculture and manufacturing industry geographically," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 124431, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    20. Guangming Yang & Guofang Gong & Qingqing Gui, 2022. "Exploring the Spatial Network Structure of Agricultural Water Use Efficiency in China: A Social Network Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-22, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2022:i:1:p:451-:d:1016859. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.