May 2020, East Asia
The potential impact of COVID-19 on China’s food security: Prospects for food imports
MATTEO MARCHISIO

Last week, the China Grain Reserve Group announced its intention to purchase 22 million tonnes of imported grain during 2020. The announcement raised some concerns about China’s food security, especially considering the as yet unclear impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the country’s food production and distribution, as well as the decision of some countries to stop exporting their agricultural production in anticipation of possible repercussions on their own internal food supplies.

While these concerns are understandable, my opinion is that – at the moment – nothing suggests there are reasons for China itself to worry about food security.