Come l'agricoltura sostenibile potrebbe migliorare i modelli di consumo di cibo della popolazione cinese

Sustainable development has been United Nations’ most discussed hot topic in the past twenty years; facing the climatic and environmental conditions of the present is an urgent action that all the States of the world must take. Sustainable Development Goal n. 12 promotes sustainable production and consumption, meaning that production methods that do not damage the planet need to be implemented as soon as possible, avoiding waste and preferring the reuse of natural resources. My study focuses on SDG n. 12 in terms of food and agriculture in China. In particular, I try to demonstrate how a return to responsible production and consumption patterns could be beneficial both for the environment and for consumers’ health. As agriculture is the economic sector that accounts for the greatest number of workers (be them employees, farmers or entrepreneurs), I analysed its role in the Chinese economy from the foundation of the People’s Republic of China up to our days, including the different cultivation methods, its limits and its successes. During the Socialist Era, Chinese agriculture was not able to feed its population and this resulted in people’s deaths from starvation and famine. The turning point in Chinese agriculture and economy was marked by Deng Xiaoping’s Reform and Opening. This period was characterised by international relations and exchanges, including the adoption of Western cultivation patterns. Therefore, a comparison between traditional and modern agricultural methods shows that the traditional ones were more sustainable because they focused on the reuse of natural and animal resources, while modern cultivation has led to environmental degradation and food unsafety. Since the beginning of the new millennium, the Chinese government has been promoting responsible agriculture, but it lacks providing farmers with appropriate financial and technological subsidies. When the population started getting richer, its food consumption patterns radically changed: rice and wheat consumption gave way to non-staple foods like meat, milk, eggs and fish. To meet the growing food demand of the increased population, farmers started using fertilisers and pesticides, causing issues to people’s health. The overexploitation of natural resources has also led to environmental degradation. That is why the current food production and consumption standards are not in line with the objective of the country to become more sustainable, which requires a return to the old habits. Food certifications are presented as a valid option both for responsible production and consumption, avoiding the use of dangerous substances and the waste of natural resources. However, certified food has a disadvantage: it is up to three times more expensive than conventional food, and only the upper-middle class can afford it. An action from the government to level the price of green, hazard-free and organic food is necessary to allow the whole population purchasing it. To underline the importance of the return to a slow lifestyle, I take Dolly’s Farm in Shanghai as an example, showing its core values, its production methods, the lifestyle it promotes and its smart advantages.