Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-ndmmz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-16T18:07:35.563Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Green food industry in China: development, problems and policies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 November 2009

Ling Lin ,
Deyi Zhou  and
Caixue Ma
Ling Lin*
Affiliation:
College of Economics and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. China.
Deyi Zhou
Affiliation:
College of Economics and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. China.
Caixue Ma
Affiliation:
College of Economics and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. China.
*
*Corresponding author: linling8633@yahoo.com.cn
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Organic food is the development trend of food in the world today. China's green food is a kind of food with pollution-free, safety, high-quality and nutritious properties, similar to organic food in the international market. The Chinese government has paid attention to the sustainable development of agro-ecosystems under the pressures of population growth and agricultural expansion since the 1980s and began to develop a green food industry in 1990. After the development of about two decades, now the Chinese green food industry has already entered a fast-growth stage. It has reached a considerable scale and is expanding rapidly. The share of green food in the global market is continuously increasing and a two-tier certification system has been established. However, green food's further development is still facing some difficulties and problems. This paper mainly analyzes those problems and discusses reasonable solutions. Specifically, this paper first gives a detailed introduction to green food and the green food industry in China, and then analyzes the major problems impeding the further development of green food industry, such as unreasonable product structure and enterprise structure, incomplete market system and backward certification system. Finally, suggestions on product structure, enterprise structure, publicity, market, certification system and governmental policies are put forward.

Keywords

green foodgreen food industrysustainable agriculturepolicyChina
Type
Review Article
Information
Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems , Volume 25 , Special Issue 1: “Food for Life”: Looking Beyond the Horizon , March 2010 , pp. 69 - 80
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1Cobb, D., Feber, R., Hopkins, A., Stockdale, L., O'Riordan, T., Clements, B., Firbank, L., Goulding, K., Jarvis, S., and Macdonald, D. 1999. Integrating the environmental and economic consequences of converting to organic agriculture: evidence from a case study. Land Use Policy 16:207–221.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2Lampkin, N. and Measures, M. 1995. Organic Farm Management Handbook 1995/6. University of Wales, Aberystwyth.Google Scholar
3Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2092/91. 1991. Official Journal of the European Communities L198:1–14.Google Scholar
4McEachern, M.G. and Willock, J. 2004. Producers and consumers of organic meat: a focus on attitudes and motivations. British Food Journal 106(7):534–552.Google Scholar
5Fairweather, J.R. 1999. Understanding how farmers choose between organic and conventional production: results from New Zealand and policy implications. Journal of Agriculture and Human Values 16:51–63.Google Scholar
6Sofos, J.N. 2008. Challenges to meat safety in the 21st century. Meat Science 78:3–13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7Shan, Y., Zhang, Q., and Wu, Y.H. 2007. Problems and suggestions on the green food standard of China. Modern Food Science and Technology 23(1):79–82.Google Scholar
8Gan, L. 2003. Agricultural environment and organic farming development. Modern Agricultural Equipment 2:43–44.Google Scholar
9Hu, H. 2002. The ecological ideology of Chinese traditional agriculture and agriculture sustainable development. Chinese Agricultural History 21(4):48–52.Google Scholar
10Zhang, X.Y., Li, G., and Zhang, L. 2004. Chinese consumers' concern on food safety. China Rural Survey 1:10–17.Google Scholar
11Bai, L., Ma, C., Gong, S., and Yang, Y. 2007. Food safety assurance systems in China. Food Control 18:480–484.Google Scholar
12Liu, X.F. and Yang, L.P. 2007. Pushing effects of green food industry in China's rural economic development. Food and Nutrition in China 1:60–62.Google Scholar
13Sai, M. and Yu, S. 2008. Pushing effects of green food industry in Xinjiang's rural economic development. Xinjiang Agricultural Sciences 45(S1):259–261.Google Scholar
14He, J.P. 2006. The development of green food industry in Heilongjiang Province. Commercial Research 336(4):102–104.Google Scholar
15Liu, C.X. and Cai, D.Y. 2006. Analysis on the operational structure of green food enterprises in Heilongjiang Province. In 2006 International Conference on Management Science and Engineering, 5–7 October, Lille, France.Google Scholar
16Liu, L.F. 1998. Introduction to Green Food. Enterprise Management Press, Beijing.Google Scholar
17Zhang, H.L. and Shun, Z.Y. 2007. Discussion on problems related to green food. Jilin Vegetables 4:87.Google Scholar
18Lou, Y.G., Zhao, L., and He, W.J. 1997. Production of Grade A and Grade AA green food in China and their future development. Journal of Zhengzhou Grain College 18(3):54–59.Google Scholar
19Paull, J. 2008. The greening of China's food—green food, organic food, and eco-labelling. In Sustainable Consumption and Alternative Agri-Food Systems Conference, 27–30 May, Liege University, Arlon, Belgium.Google Scholar
20China Green Food Development Center. Introduction on China Green Food Development Center. Available at Web site http://www.greenfood.org.cn/Html/2007_1_24/2_2786_2007_1_24_2789.html (verified 1 December 2008).Google Scholar
21The Ministry of Science and Technology of China. China's Agenda 21. Available at Web site http://www.acca21.org.cn/cca21pa.html (verified 1 December 2008).Google Scholar
22The Ministry of Science and Technology of China. Science and Technology Outline for Sustainable Development. Available at Web site http://www.acca21.org.cn/kjgy.html (verified 1 December 2008).Google Scholar
23Fang, A.Q. and Ma, Z.J. 2001. Beyond-neglect food safety: ‘Three Green Project’. Jiangxi Agricultural Economy 3:45.Google Scholar
24Administrative Department for Agriculture of Heilongjiang Province. Measures for Green Food Management in Heilongjiang Province. Available at Web site http://www.hljzxmbzsw.gov.cn/news_more.asp?unid=261 (verified 1 October 2009).Google Scholar
25Green Food Development Center of Heilongjiang Province. Measures for Administration of Green Food Labeling in Heilongjiang Province. Available at Web site http://www.greenfood.org/Html/2008-8-13/6942_8534_2008-8-13_8563.html (verified 1 October 2009).Google Scholar
26China Green Food Development Center. China Statistic Yearbook of Green Food (1997–2007). Available at Web site http://www.greenfood.org.cn/Sites/MainSite/List_2_2453.html (verified 1 December 2008).Google Scholar
27Yu, W.J. 2008. A boom in the organic food demand and a business opportunity for global market. China Inspection and Quarantine 8:49–50.Google Scholar
28Lv, J. 2004. The development of green food industry and its countermeasures in the west. Journal of Northeast Agricultural University 2(4):20–22.Google Scholar
29Wang, Q.Y. 2005. Green foods: a new effective way to increase the demand of agricultural product. Journal of Xiangtan University (Philosophy and Social Sciences) 29(1):17–21.Google Scholar
30Zhang, Q. 2007. Present situation and problems of China's green food export. HLJ Foreign Economic Relations and Trade 11:11–12.Google Scholar
31China Green Food Development Center. Development history of China Green Food Development Center. Available at Web site http://www.greenfood.org.cn/sites/MainSite/List_2_2447.html (verified 1 December 2008).Google Scholar
32China Green Food Development Center. China 's green food development of 2006. Available at Web site http://www.greenfood.org.cn/Html/2007-5-16/2_4411_2007-5-16_4412.html (verified 1 December 2008).Google Scholar
33Zhao, D.W. 2009. Development stages of green food industry and transition of increase mode. Academic Exchange 2:55–58.Google Scholar
34Wang, Q.Y. 2007. Causes and countermeasures of deficient effective demand of environment friendly health food. Journal of Guangdong University of Business Studies 1:63–65.Google Scholar
35Zhang, L.X. 2009. An analysis on consumer perception of safe food and purchase behavior—a survey on fresh food in Shanghai. Chinese Agricultural Science Bulletin 25(4):50–54.Google Scholar