Achieving urban food security through a hybrid public-private food provisioning system: the case of Nanjing, China

Abstract

Chinese cities have been able to maintain much higher levels of household food security than many other cities in the Global South, according to recent surveys. Yet, little is known about the governance of the food provisioning system that underpins its urban food security. Based on a combination of household survey data, unstructured interviews and analyses of government documents, regulations and laws, we reveal that both Nanjing's food provisioning system and its governance employ a public-private hybrid model. The hybridity is reflected in the mixed ownership structure of food wholesale and retail markets, the companies that manage them, and the involvement of both public and private capital in these markets. This hybridity prevents market failure in food system operation and thus is the underlying mechanism that ensures physical accessibility to and affordability of food in the city; it also balances food affordability and the profitability of food markets. This paper identifies various food security policies and regulations implemented by the Nanjing municipal government, such as the "vegetable basket" policy, the "crawling peg" policy in urban planning, the financial supports for upgrading wet market facilities and reducing rental fees, and the regulations on the retailing of fresh produce in supermarkets. These policies ensure that there is relatively equitable and easy access to healthy food for Nanjing residents and that the establishment of new wet markets keeps up with urban population growth. These food policies in Nanjing provide important lessons for other cities in the world to foster urban food security.

Household Food Dynamics and Food System Resilience Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-National Comparison of China and the United States

“…This would be the learning component that is critical in the food system resilience action cycle described by Tendall et al (2015). From a policy perspective, various strategies have been proposed, e.g., streamlining supply chain monitoring and proactive measures to prevent and deal with potential threats to the supply chain (Gray, 2020), effective interventions to promote and enable urban agriculture and home gardening as well as shorter supply chains (Hobbs, 2020;Lal, 2020;Pulighe and Lupia, 2020), and innovative public-private programs to diversify food market channels and broaden food delivery and accessibility mechanisms (Zhong et al, 2019), just to name a few. Additionally, how to leverage Internet-enabled food supply and distribution for enhanced food system resilience deserves further attention.…”

“…That the Chinese food availability scored higher than the U.S. may be attributed to a more versatile and diverse food retail sector in China, particularly involving urban food outlets (Anonymous, 2020). Zhong et al (2019) discussed food security policies instituted in the city of Nanjing, China. The researchers described the utility of a publicprivate hybrid model, with mixed ownership of food wholesale and retail markets as well as capitals, in preventing market failure in food system operation.…”

“Informal” food traders and food security: experiences from the Covid-19 response in South Africa

“…Changes are also needed in planning and regulations to create more space specifically for small-scale food traders and aimed at ensuring fresh produce is available within walking distance of all people’s homes. There are examples of regulations that do this, such as the “crawling peg” town planning policy implemented in Nanjing, China, that reserves space for public markets and small-scale local fresh produce (Zhong et al 2019 ).…”

Transforming Industrial Food Systems to Prevent Future Disruptions

“…The name "wet market" appears five times in the book to illustrate why traditional markets still exist. Wet markets are diverse in form, contrary to international media portrayals of these markets as homogenous spaces with food safety, quality, and animal welfare concerns (T. Zhong, Si, Crush, Scott, & Huang, 2019). Furthermore, a study in southern China, specifically Sanya in Hainan province and Guangzhou in Guangdong province, concludes that the cultural construction of freshness creates a niche for small-scale traders in traditional wet markets (S. Zhong, Crang, & Zeng, 2020).…”

“…Furthermore, a study in southern China, specifically Sanya in Hainan province and Guangzhou in Guangdong province, concludes that the cultural construction of freshness creates a niche for small-scale traders in traditional wet markets (S. Zhong, Crang, & Zeng, 2020). The proportion of households with food and nutrition security is 79% in Nanjing, which is attributed to access to traditional wet markets (Zhong et al, 2019). The industrial modernization of agriculture has pushed regionally oriented traditional food markets to the margins, partly because of the perceived food safety issues and adoption of the modern, fast lifestyle.…”