The old ways of Chinese farming are becoming changed by mechanisation
The economic growth in the Chinese economy has led the people there to migrate towards other tastes and foods which they previously rarely had access too.
The economic drain of agricultural workers to towns and cities has created new problems for the country, in terms of food supply and has allowed mechanisation to come forward in a 'tidal wave' of speed.
The low hanging fruit level of farming that is now displacing humans
Recently, Chinese investment has started buying land in mainland Europe to farm. Espcially in areas of France and Belgium, which is upsetting the locals as the Chinese are bringing their own people to do the farming.
And the produce which used to go into the European food markets is going back to China and not being consumed 'here.'
Should that alarm you? It should as this is just the start of a country that is finding western foods to its liking and wanting more.
The toxic waste legacy of China's manufacturing might
The other side of the coin is growing mechanisation, for China, years of a one child policy has led to a 1-2-4 family unit, one child to two parents to four grandparents structure.
With the one child being usually boys, this has created a massive imbalance to the tune of over 100 million males who will not reproduce or have a partner from Chinese stock.
The mechanisation of farming means that where in the past immigrants or holiday farmers were brought in to harvest crops, this can now be done by computer controlled machines which are more efficient and can work much longer.
The toxic waste legacy of China's almost unbridled recent growth means that some areas of land are badly contaminated to the extent that food grown there will start cancer in humans if consumed.
If this land use continues for off EU consumption, we could find prices increase greatly in the future. And less land is available to Western farmers.
No comments:
Post a Comment