Food Security and Farm Land Protection in China (Series on Chinese Economics Research, 2) - Hardcover

Yushi Mao; Nong Zhao; Xiaojing Yang

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 9814412058 ISBN 13: 9789814412056

Publisher: World Scientific Publishing Company, 2013

Synopsis

The objective of publishing this book is to let the general public have a better understanding of the food security situation in China and better comprehension of the merit of allocating land through market mechanism. In addition, it makes the public aware of the inefficiencies of current government regulated land system.As a populous country in the world, China emphasizes too much importance of food to ensure people's sufficient consumption. There is a national policy to protect farm land, farm land protection refers to 18 hundred million mu of farmland which is specifically designated for food production only. Unirule defined the national food security as the capability to solve food shortages, and calculated the gap between food supply and demand. Two approaches can be used to solve the above food gap. Food security problems will not happen under situations of free trade and factors substitution in market economy, substantial storage and foreign exchange income. In modern China, food insecurity or great famine only happened in planned economy. To link tightly farm land size and grain yield and even food security is baseless both in theory and practices. The previous red line of 21 hundred million mu was already broken through. The current red line of 18 hundred million mu will also be broken through, in view of the process of industrialization and urbanization. In fact, farm land protection should focus on protecting the employment right of peasant in land.

About this title

Review

Public policies of farmland protection and food security in China always have an influence on its economy, society, law and politics. They have hampered institutional change in China undergoing transition. Based on a systematic examination of the problem and analysis of the logic behind the existing policies, Professor Mao and his team have written a significant research monograph. It is bound to stimulate reexamination and readjustment of the relevant policies. -- Professor Lu Feng "Peking University"

This book convincingly demonstrates why for a nation endowed with a huge population but limited natural resources, China's future lies in urbanization and globalization. The current land system, despite its rampant inefficiency and injustice, remains almost unchanged from China's Central Planning Era out of ungrounded fear of losing food security and arable land. Mao and his co-authors pointed out that it is high time China reforms its land system so that its rural population will be in a better position to share the prosperity that urbanization and globalization have brought about in China since it abandoned the Central Planning System about 20 years ago. -- Professor James Wen Guanzhong "Trinity College"

The book introduces the development of regulatory farmland protection, food security policies and institutional drawbacks in a comprehensive and systematic way from historical and realistic perspectives. In addition, it offers some innovative and insightful ideas. From the perspectives of the global market, the book argues that market and privatization (reconstruction of the land ownership of farmers) are the best way to ensure food security in China. -- Professor Zhang Zhenqiang "Hubei University, China"

Rapid economic growth is transforming China into an urban society, with far-reaching implications for the rural sector and agricultural economy. The policy of self-sufficiency in grain production, which is enshrined in law, limits conversion of agricultural land. -- Professor Carsten Herrmann-Pillathan "Frankfurt School of Finance & Management"

In-depth reform and sustainable development in China can be found in a critical and cool-headed re-examination of its land use based on concern for food security. This book argues cogently that market mechanism is more powerful and more efficient than government intervention in food security and land resource allocation. -- Professor Xu Dianqing "University of Western Ontario"

Farmland in China is a scarce resource, which needs protection, the more the better. However, the protection incurs great cost. On the one hand, farmland is protected at the expense of other land uses; on the other hand, the implementation costs of different protection methods are not the same. This book is a must read for insights into this problem. -- Professor Zhou Qiren "Peking University"

Edition details

• Publisher: World Scientific Publishing Company
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 9814412058
• ISBN 13: 9789814412056
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 388