Thread: Why China Doesn't Starve

The rise of China is unquestionably the most important global event of the last 30 years. I mean, what else compares? But we over here tend to look at it through particular filters- the massive GDP growth, the factory of the world, the huge foreign trade growth, the technology development, the thoroughly modern cities, the incredible infrastructural development- particularly in transportation. And then of course there is the perceived threat- the ideological struggle of 'Communism vs Capitalism' (or more accurately these days an authoritarian, managed society vs freewheeling/ messy liberal democracy), growing diplomatic clout, and of course military might. Oh, our media is obviously besotted by the perceived threat- a sure sign that our political leadership is too. But I digress.

Commonly overlooked (by us) is the small matter of food security, 1.4bn mouths to feed and keep satisfied. But it never was by 'Them'- the technocrats/ engineers that basically designed modern China from the ground up. Bear in mind, China has developed from a largely agrarian, impoverished society to an urbanised, consumer society in the space of 40 years. Many Chinese people alive today remember actual hunger, famine, deprivation. Even we, who have never known this, can surely understand why they wanted never to go hungry again. And of course Chinese state planners know well that a society that struggles to adequately feed itself is ripe for revolution.

Being the subject of much ignorance on my part, I found the following article fascinating- I devoured it last evening, into the wee hours. Chinas development in food technology and agricultural productivity has matched it's technological and infrastructural development, in other words has been astonishing. About the author-


Janus Dongye Qimeng

A PhD in University of Cambridge, interested in Geopolitics

I hope you can learn something new from my answers and also I can learn something new from your comments.

I have already completed my research at Cambridge. Now I have left the UK and move back to Shenzhen, China. I am currently working in a tech company in Shenzhen.
I’m back!
https://www.quora.com/profile/Janus-Dongye-Qimeng


Well thanks 'Janus' (probably a pseudonym) for a thoroughly interesting read. Of course the agricultural prowess that China has assiduously been developing at home is thoroughly applicable and exportable to the developing world too.