Agriculture in China and OECD Countries

The pace of growth in China's agricultural sector is remarkable. Over the past 20 years, food production has outpaced population growth, and enhanced the nutritional status of a billion people. But this success has given rise to a number of questions. Most importantly, will China be able to provide food for its population in a sustainable way, while absorbing the 15 million people added to its population each year? What policies should accompany China’s transition to a market-based economy in the agricultural sector which employs the vast majority of China’s working population? What are the implications of economic and agricultural growth for the environment, the rural communities and the social fabric? What are the implications for international agricultural markets and what could be at stake for other food importing countries? Determining how this demand for food will be met requires a complex analytical framework whose parameters are the subject of an intense discussion and debate. The proceedings of this workshop provide a rich repository of material that helps answer many of these questions.