China’s cultivated land threshold from the perspective of food security

[Objective] Cultivated land serves as the cornerstone of national food security. Under the background of significant changes in dietary consumption structure and population in China and the rising resources and environmental constraints, it is imperative to investigate China’s cultivated land thresh...

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Main Author: ZHAO Xiaoyu, SUN Chunqiang, CUI Rongguo, CHEN Jing, ZHANG Xiaoyu, CAO Tingyu, LI Chao
Format: Article
Language:zho
Published: Science Press, PR China 2024-12-01
Series:Ziyuan Kexue
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Online Access:https://www.resci.cn/fileup/1007-7588/PDF/1736920210391-28638028.pdf
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author ZHAO Xiaoyu, SUN Chunqiang, CUI Rongguo, CHEN Jing, ZHANG Xiaoyu, CAO Tingyu, LI Chao
author_facet ZHAO Xiaoyu, SUN Chunqiang, CUI Rongguo, CHEN Jing, ZHANG Xiaoyu, CAO Tingyu, LI Chao
author_sort ZHAO Xiaoyu, SUN Chunqiang, CUI Rongguo, CHEN Jing, ZHANG Xiaoyu, CAO Tingyu, LI Chao
collection DOAJ
description [Objective] Cultivated land serves as the cornerstone of national food security. Under the background of significant changes in dietary consumption structure and population in China and the rising resources and environmental constraints, it is imperative to investigate China’s cultivated land threshold in the new era to meet diverse food and nutrition needs of Chinese residents. [Methods] This study started from measuring the annual per capita grain demand using the Prandial Balance method. On this basis, a cultivated land threshold calculation model was constructed, taking into account factors such as population, per capita grain demand, food self-sufficiency rate, and grain yield per unit cultivated area. Then, the minimum demand and deficit (or surplus) of cultivated land at the national and agroecological region levels was measured for 2021. Furthermore, the minimum demand of China’s cultivated land in 2035 and 2050 was predicted based on the grain yield per unit cultivated area and population change. [Results] (1) China’s annual per capita grain demand ranges from 420.0 kg to 497.1 kg in 2021. (2) According to the cultivated land threshold calculation model, per capita threshold of cultivated land in 2021 ranges from 0.07 hm<sup>2</sup> to 0.09 hm<sup>2</sup>. The minimum demand of China’s cultivated land in 2021 ranges from 105.2534 million hm<sup>2</sup> to 125.3017 million hm<sup>2</sup>. Cultivated land deficit and surplus in agroecological regions reflect obvious regional differences. Cultivated land surplus in Northeast China is the highest, while cultivated land deficit in areas south of the Yangtze River and South China is the highest. Cultivated land surplus decreases and cultivated land deficit increases with the rise of per capita grain demand. (3) Under the premise that the current grain yield per unit cultivated area is unchanged, minimum demand of China’s cultivated land is expected to be between 101.4168 million hm<sup>2</sup> and 120.7342 million hm<sup>2</sup> in 2035, and 95.3361 million hm<sup>2</sup> and 113.4953 million hm<sup>2</sup> in 2050. [Conclusion] Given the current rate of cultivated land reduction, it is expected that the amount of cultivated land might drop below the high value of cultivated land minimum demand by 2035. In 2050, the amount of cultivated land in China can only be sufficient to meet the minimum demand of cultivated land under the medium level annual per capita grain demand. The challenges faced by China’s cultivated land protection is very serious. In order to ensure the security of cultivated land resources in different regions of China, we should continue to implement and improve the most strict cultivated land protection system and the most strict system for conservation and intensive use of land in China; scientifically identify the policy unit of cultivated land protection based on agroecological areas; and implement targeted measures for cultivated land protection for different regions based on their resource endowments. Besides, a cross-regional, multi-level collaborative system of cultivated land protection should be established according to the spatial distribution of cultivated land surplus and deficit in combination with the construction of main functional regions.
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spelling doaj-art-34301214a7564b8bb5a753f67de9f0c52025-01-15T12:16:31ZzhoScience Press, PR ChinaZiyuan Kexue1007-75882024-12-0146122355236610.18402/resci.2024.12.02China’s cultivated land threshold from the perspective of food securityZHAO Xiaoyu, SUN Chunqiang, CUI Rongguo, CHEN Jing, ZHANG Xiaoyu, CAO Tingyu, LI Chao01. Information Center of Ministry of Natural Resources, Beijing 100036, China;2. China Land Surveying and Planning Institute, Beijing 100035, China[Objective] Cultivated land serves as the cornerstone of national food security. Under the background of significant changes in dietary consumption structure and population in China and the rising resources and environmental constraints, it is imperative to investigate China’s cultivated land threshold in the new era to meet diverse food and nutrition needs of Chinese residents. [Methods] This study started from measuring the annual per capita grain demand using the Prandial Balance method. On this basis, a cultivated land threshold calculation model was constructed, taking into account factors such as population, per capita grain demand, food self-sufficiency rate, and grain yield per unit cultivated area. Then, the minimum demand and deficit (or surplus) of cultivated land at the national and agroecological region levels was measured for 2021. Furthermore, the minimum demand of China’s cultivated land in 2035 and 2050 was predicted based on the grain yield per unit cultivated area and population change. [Results] (1) China’s annual per capita grain demand ranges from 420.0 kg to 497.1 kg in 2021. (2) According to the cultivated land threshold calculation model, per capita threshold of cultivated land in 2021 ranges from 0.07 hm<sup>2</sup> to 0.09 hm<sup>2</sup>. The minimum demand of China’s cultivated land in 2021 ranges from 105.2534 million hm<sup>2</sup> to 125.3017 million hm<sup>2</sup>. Cultivated land deficit and surplus in agroecological regions reflect obvious regional differences. Cultivated land surplus in Northeast China is the highest, while cultivated land deficit in areas south of the Yangtze River and South China is the highest. Cultivated land surplus decreases and cultivated land deficit increases with the rise of per capita grain demand. (3) Under the premise that the current grain yield per unit cultivated area is unchanged, minimum demand of China’s cultivated land is expected to be between 101.4168 million hm<sup>2</sup> and 120.7342 million hm<sup>2</sup> in 2035, and 95.3361 million hm<sup>2</sup> and 113.4953 million hm<sup>2</sup> in 2050. [Conclusion] Given the current rate of cultivated land reduction, it is expected that the amount of cultivated land might drop below the high value of cultivated land minimum demand by 2035. In 2050, the amount of cultivated land in China can only be sufficient to meet the minimum demand of cultivated land under the medium level annual per capita grain demand. The challenges faced by China’s cultivated land protection is very serious. In order to ensure the security of cultivated land resources in different regions of China, we should continue to implement and improve the most strict cultivated land protection system and the most strict system for conservation and intensive use of land in China; scientifically identify the policy unit of cultivated land protection based on agroecological areas; and implement targeted measures for cultivated land protection for different regions based on their resource endowments. Besides, a cross-regional, multi-level collaborative system of cultivated land protection should be established according to the spatial distribution of cultivated land surplus and deficit in combination with the construction of main functional regions.https://www.resci.cn/fileup/1007-7588/PDF/1736920210391-28638028.pdfcultivated land protection|food security|healthy china|cultivated land threshold|per capita grain demand
spellingShingle ZHAO Xiaoyu, SUN Chunqiang, CUI Rongguo, CHEN Jing, ZHANG Xiaoyu, CAO Tingyu, LI Chao
China’s cultivated land threshold from the perspective of food security
Ziyuan Kexue
cultivated land protection|food security|healthy china|cultivated land threshold|per capita grain demand
title China’s cultivated land threshold from the perspective of food security
title_full China’s cultivated land threshold from the perspective of food security
title_fullStr China’s cultivated land threshold from the perspective of food security
title_full_unstemmed China’s cultivated land threshold from the perspective of food security
title_short China’s cultivated land threshold from the perspective of food security
title_sort china s cultivated land threshold from the perspective of food security
topic cultivated land protection|food security|healthy china|cultivated land threshold|per capita grain demand
url https://www.resci.cn/fileup/1007-7588/PDF/1736920210391-28638028.pdf
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