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Introduction |
What is this application about? |
This
is a decision-support application for planners and policymakers. It
should help in the evaluation of options for dealing with China's (future) food problems. |
The
core of this application is an integrated analysis of China's food prospects
that takes into account biophysical, climatic, hydrological, demographic, social,
economic, and political dimensions (see the Arguments
section). In addition, a broad range of related data sets were selected,
have been converted into tables, maps, satellite images, and charts, and are here merged
into an interactive hypertext document. Some of the data sets are from the IIASA LUC-GIS
(such as most of the digital maps), others were collected by the author from the Internet
or from statistical reports and yearbooks (such as the FAO data sets and tables from
various Chinese statistical yearbooks). All analyses and data resources are connected via
a web of hundreds of links, so that the user can "jump" from one
argument to related arguments, tables, charts, maps, or Web sites on the Internet. |
China's
food security is a multicriteria problem. It cannot be solved by dealing with one
dimension only - such as by focusing on the problem of soil erosion. There are at least
seven dimensions that play a major role in China's food prospects: (1) population growth,
(2) diet change, (3) urbanization, (4) size and quality of arable land, (5) supply of
water, (6) policies and economic arrangements, and (7) scientific and technological
developments. Each of these dimensions must be taken into account for political planning
and scientific research concerning China's food security. This application brings together
data, analyses, and Web resources for each of these dimensions. |
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How is this application organized? |
The
application has three major components and provides nine different information
access tools. |
Components |
The application includes three
major components: |
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An analysis of China's food prospects,
translated into arguments |
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A large archive of corresponding data sets
(including tables, figures, maps, and remote-sensing images) |
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An extensive set of references, including a
bibliography and a large selection of Web links |
The arguments are organized in an
evaluation matrix that
(a) describes current trends in food-related sectors,
(b) outlines the impact of these trends,
(c) evaluates data quality and
(d) prediction errors,
(e) describes intervention possibilities, and
(f) discusses the costs of these interventions. |
Biogeophysical, socioeconomic, and
institutional factors are taken into account. The matrix tries to systematically cover all
relevant dimensions of China's food problems in a way that policymakers can use for
evaluating alternative strategies. It provides arguments and "hard facts" for a
policy dialogue and for further research. |
A major intention of this system is
to emphasize the multidimensional nature of China's food problems. Food security is not
primarily a resource problem, as suggested by some researchers. Scarcity of water and land
are just two factors in a multi-term equation that also includes demographic, economic,
sociocultural, and political elements. |
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Tools |
The information in this application
can be accessed through the following tools: |
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All arguments
are organized in an evaluation matrix, the main tool in this application. |
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Corresponding data
can be accessed from the data directory, which includes links to all tables, charts,
figures, maps, and remote-sensing images. |
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The FAQ
section is a list of answers to frequently asked questions concerning China's food
prospects. |
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There are also a few in-depth analyses of food-related issues that
do not fit into the argument scheme of the evaluation matrix but are nevertheless
important for understanding China's food situation. |
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The executive summary
of arguments presents the main results in each section of the evaluation matrix in
condensed form. |
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The conclusions
give an answer to the initial question: "Can China Feed Itself?" |
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The bibliography
provides bibliographical refrences on food and agriculture in China. |
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A large selection of Web links to China-related resources,
research centers, and related materials is also included. |
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An index
to everything in this application is also provided. |
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Revision 2.0 (First revision published in 1999)
- Copyright © 2011 by Gerhard K. Heilig. All rights reserved. (First revision: Copyright © 1999 by IIASA.) |
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