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Environmental impacts of Chinese Diet through a life-cycle approach

Vitor Vieira Vasconcelos

PhD in Natural Sciences

Stockholm Environment Institute Asia Centre

August 2015

During the last century, Chinas has changed from an agricultural country to the main industrial

workshop of the world. These changes reflected in shifts of consumption patterns, from a previously

predominant poor rural population that, migrating to the industrialized cities, now enjoy an increasingly

western consumption standard. The aim of this essays is to explore how the changes in food consumption

in China, as home of approximately one fifth of the world population, have a huge effect on the demand

of natural resources and on environmental impacts, not only within China, ut also worldwide. The essay

starts from the early !"thcentury China, and explore the changes in rural and uran population, tracking

the conse#uent shift in the population diet. The impacts of the food consumption trends are analyzed

through a life$cycle approach, and some reflections are made aout the possiility of a more sustainale

development in China.

%n the eginning of the !"thcentury, most of the Chinese population was living from traditional

family susistence farming, as explained y &awssett et al'!""(, p.)*$+-. %n this traditional system, the

families tried to cycle the nutrients as much as possile, collecting the organic residue from plants, animals

and humans to re$enter it in the production cycle as food for animals or manure for crops. The farms also

used other sustainale practices for water and soil conservation, such as terracing and multiple cropping.

The asic meal would consist of staple food 'rice or wheat-, adding one kind of vegetale as a side dish.

%n some occasions, a small amount of meat from small animals nourished in the farm would e part of the

meal.

ome changes started to occur during the /ao 0edong socialist regime, from 1(+ to 1(*), as

the national government assumed the role to uy and distriute food, and this management system

helped to guarantee food security '&awssett, et al, !""(, p.+)$("-. The new system of collective farms,

replacing partially the family farming, also helped to introduce technological innovations, such as new

machinery.

2owever, the iggest changes would happen with the 3conomic 4eform, after 1(*+, when the

Chinese government would progressively open its market to foreign investment, as well as to national

private entrepreneurs, to stimulate industrial development. 5s an result of this industrialization trend, the

Chinese living in city changed from 1).!6 of the population in 1()" to 7.6 in !"1 '8orld 9ank, !"17-,

ecoming the largest migration phenomenon ever seen in history. This development also increased theaverage yearly income from :;++.*!, in 1()" to :;*,7(.++ in !"1" '8orld 9ank, !"17-. The health

indicators also improved, as the under$five mortality rate decreased from 11(.1 deaths in each 1"""

neworns in 1()( to 1!.* in !"1 and the average life expectancy increased from .) years in 1()" to

*7.7 years in !"1 '8orld 9ank, !"17-.

The peasants saw migration as a way to improve their #uality of life. /any of them would plan to

earn some money in the city in order to send it ack to their families in the countryside, or would try to

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save money in order to come ack and have a etter #uality of life in their homeland.

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&or example, there are the impacts of production and disposal of the plastic ottles, and the energy and

pollutions involved in the transportation process of the product '&awssett, et al, !""(, p.1+-.

The increasing environmental impacts of this new consumption pattern may paint a dark future

to China>s development history. 2owever, there is still opportunity for many improvements that would at

least partially mitigate these impacts. s

future. Chinese social organizations and citizens in general are ecoming more aware and active in issues

involving iodiversity conservation and pollution control '&awssett, et al, !""(, p.7"$7-, and this

awareness may possily lead to greener consumption choices. The government leaders, attentive to these

social changes, are also incorporating values of environmental sustainaility in their discourses and

strategies '&awssett et al., !""(, p.1*-, and may develop strategies that mitigate the life$cycle impacts

of food consumption. %n China, the Barty has a very high control on many aspects of development, and

thus their decision towards pulic policies oriented to sustainale consumption would e crucial to ensure

a sustainale future for China.

%n conclusion, China>s recent diet changes, when evaluated through a file$cycle approach, clarify

how the new consuming patterns in the country impact natural resources consumption and cause

pollution on production, consumption and disposal in the food chain. &rom the facts and arguments

presented, it is possile to understand that China>s increasing uranization led to new food consumption

patterns that pose challenges regarding environmental health and the limits of availale natural

resources. These limits clearly sign that it would not e possile to continue in the same development

strategy in the long term. Changes to a more sustainale development are needed, and it may depend on

consumer choices, as well as on wise government choices.

4eferences?

&awssett, , /orris, D and 8arren, '!""(- Changing China: U116, Block 5, /ilton eynes, The