Socio-Economic and Ecological Determinants of Foodstuff Supply in the Peoples’ Republic of China

Abstract

This article deals with the function of Chinese agriculture as a foodstuff supplier. It  has been shown that a secure foodstuff supply is dependent on various complex factors. The agricultural transformation process in the People's Republic of China at the beginning of the reform era aimed at securing a supply of agricultural products in  order to support economic development in other sectors. Nowadays, however after years of reforms in agriculture it can be seen that the foodstuff supply in the Peoples's Republic of China is still far from being "stable". The main factors responsible for this situation are inappropriate agriculture policy since the middle of 1980s, a continuous population growth and the consequent ecological problems.