The International Competitiveness Of China's Vegetable Industry

Vegetables are fundamental and functional food in people's diets. They contain various vitamins, minerals and cellulose that aid digestion and help to nourish the body; they prevent nutritional deficiencies and avail people to grow healthily; they help prevent obesity and balance people's nutrition; they promote blood circulation, and they prevent and cure some kinds of cancers.Chinese people have long attached great importance to vegetables in their diets. Since ancient era, people have been exploring the functions of vegetables. The earliest book on medicine, Neijing (Internal Channels), written over 2,000 years ago, said that the body needed "five flavors" to live: "five grains for nourishment, five fruits for support, five animals for benefit, and five vegetables for energy."People in other countries also attached great importance to the consumption of vegetables. Early in the 1990s, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposed a Food Pyramid, which contains six groups: grain group, vegetable group, fruit group, meat group and others (Fats, Oils, and Sweets). The percentage of the vegetable group is 3-5 servings per day, second only to the grain group (6-11 servings per day).However, people around the world begin to pay attention to the quality and safety of vegetables other than their abundance. Pesticide residues that harm people's health become a big concern at home and abroad. Nearly every importing country has stipulated certain strict regulations on the vegetables imported. And because of the issue of pesticide residue, China's vegetables once were rejected by Japan and Korea. They also met obstacles in their access to other countries.