Transforming Chinese Food Systems for Both Human and Planetary Health

Abstract

Over the past four decades, China’s food security and nutritional status have improved significantly, as witnessed in the elimination of hunger and poverty, increased diversity of diets, and reduction in child stunting. However, Chinese food systems will face even greater challenges in the future. These include constraints of natural resources, climate change, and multiple challenges of malnutrition, food safety, and external shocks from a volatile international market. Fortunately, the Chinese government has made important commitments in the “Fourteenth Five-year Plan” on food and nutrition security, health, the environment and climate change, including achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. The purpose of this chapter is to review major achievements and their enabling factors, future challenges and government strategies, as well as our recommendations for transforming Chinese food systems in regard to both human and planetary health. This chapter will help to bring voices of emerging economies like China in setting the global food system agenda, providing useful insights on the transformation of its own food systems, as well as those in other countries.