China’s rapid economic growth and gradual transition towards a market economy have brought
about significant changes in its food consumption patterns and trade behavior. With increased
income and improved market accessibility, Chinese consumers, especially those in urban areas,
are shifting their food consumption from grains to meats and other high-value food products
(Wang, Jensen, and Johnson 1993). Between 1984 and 1996, China’s per capita grain
consumption declined from 142 kilograms (kg) to 94 kg in urban areas and from 267 kg to 256
kg in rural areas, whereas the per capita consumption of meats, eggs, milk, vegetable oils, and
fruits increased significantly in both urban and rural areas (China’s State Statistical Bureau). As
a result of the ongoing transition in food consumption patterns, extremely limited per capita
arable land, and significant reductions in import restrictions, China’s food imports have
increased dramatically in recent years. For example, China’s corn trade reversed from a net
export of 11.1 million metric tons (mmt) in 1993 to a net import of 5.2 mmt in 1995, while total
grain imports increased from 7.3 mmt to 20.4 mmt over the same period. China has also
substantially expanded its imports of high-value food products such as edible oils—which
jumped from 1.1 mmt in 1993 to 3.7 mmt in 1995 (USDA 1996).