Food Consumption And Urbanization In China:Characters And Food Security

China has entered the new era of industrialization, urbanization, agricultural modernization and informatization. Economic transformation and industrialupgrading is a trend in near future. Food security is an old question but always new for every monment. This research focuses on the food consumption, attempts to figure out theconsumption characteristics in China.This article summarized characteristics of China’s grain consumption in current stage, analyzed the factors which influencing the grain consumption with regression model and the data from2000to2013. Analyze food supply and demand situation in three domestic urban circles (Beijing-tianjin-hebei, the pearl river delta and Yangtze river), so that to understand the consumption changes in the process of urbanization. On this basis, using panel data fixed effects model of urban residents in China (1987-2012) and the rural residents (1995-2012) to discuss food consumption evolution and its turning point. Finally, comparing grain consumption pattern of Japan and Korea in their development of urbanization as international cases. All of above provide the policy suggestions and adjustment of food security strategy.China’s grain consumption has shown a significant new features:total consumption growth transition from elastic to rigid growth; structure characteristics of varieties shows a significant substitution relationship; residents diet structure characteristics of profound change influence conduction link to food consumption, feed and food processing the proportion gradually improve; urban and rural characteristics shows some kind of convergence from rural to urban. Regional structure affected by the industry and the demand. International trade shows that food import is an indisputable fact.The Quantitative study found that the urbanization is the core of China’s grain consumption shifting. Residents’ income growth is the main reason of food consumption structure change. Industrial upgrading has a significant impact on purpose structure; market price factors determine the varieties structure; regional consumption characteristics affected by industrial agglomeration and price; high quality, advanced level of consumption effects of import and export. Among the factors, urbanization is the most important.Study of urban circles found that there is certain relevance between food consumption and urbanization; it effected grain consumption in different period. Then panel data fixed effects model show that the urban residents’ food consumption structures tend to be stable, while the rural residents’ food consumption structure is changing. Consumption differences are mainly caused by urban and rural differences rather than income.Cases study of Japan and Korea shows that rapid increases of grain consumption growth are in the accordance with diet structure upgrade when the urbanization is increasing. In addition, the speed of urbanization directly affects the speed of diet structure upgrade. Based on the change trend of grain consumption, policies should pay more attention to consumption control. There must be policy system of supply, reserve and emergency, international cooperation and so on. From the perspective of consumption, policy recommendations include:setting food security lines according to the characters of food consumption; Build dynamic adjustment mechanism of variety structure; Establish a multi-level and multi-channel food reserves portfolio; Support and strongly support the food processing industry; Perfect security strategy based on urban circles.