The Chinese food system has undergone a transition of unprecedented speed, leading to complex interactions with China's economy, health, and the environment. Structural changes experienced by the country over the past decades boosted economic development but worsened the mismatch between food supply and demand, deteriorated the environment, drove obesity and overnutrition levels up, and increased the risk for pathogen spreads due to intensive farming. Here, we propose a strategy for slimming and greening the Chinese food system toward sustainability targets. This strategy takes into account the interlinkages between agricultural production and food consumption across the food system, going beyond agriculture-focused perspectives. We call for a food-system approach with integrated analysis of potential triple benefits for the economy, health, and the environment, as well as multisector collaboration in support of evidence-based policy making.
MainDespite having a lower per-capita availability of water and cropland than the global average and facing severe resource depletion 1 , China recently saw an unprecedented economic growth that has not only shifted millions of people out of poverty and hunger but also reshaped its food system. Important dietary and nutrition changes took place within just two generations in the country, while in other high-income countries the same process took place over more than a century. This quick transition shifted consumption patterns from scarce, carbohydrate-dominated diets toward affluent diets (Figure 1a)rich in animal protein, sugar, fat, and processed industrial foods 2 , along with high food wastage 3 . Economic growth and associated structural changes also led to a decrease in physical labor intensity, an increase in more sedentary occupations 4 , and consequently, more obesity and chronic diseases in the population 5 (Figure 1b). Socio-economic changes in China have led to differences in food consumption, thus impacting the economy, public health, and the environment. With ongoing economic growth in China, it is expected that total food demand continues to rise and affluent dietary patterns become even more prevalent, exacerbating the mismatch between food demand and supply and imposing additional economic, health and environmental challenges.