Over the past three decades, China"s rapid economic ascent has reshaped the global food and agriculture landscape, emerging as a growth engine and strategic market.

　　China"s share of the world economy, based on purchasing power parity, has surged from 4 percent in the early 1990s to 19 percent today, driving a near doubling of per capita meat consumption from 40 kilograms in 1995 to 76 kg in 2025.

　　Feeding opportunity

　　This massive demand for food has stimulated global production growth and accelerated the globalization of key food industry segments. Despite being home to nearly 20 percent of the global population, China has only 7 percent of the world"s agricultural land, necessitating agricultural imports to meet domestic needs. To this end, it has become the world"s top importer of beef and whole milk powder.

　　However, China maintains a resilient and secure food system, with food imports accounting for just 7 percent of its $2.7 trillion food and agriculture market. A long-term focus on food security, a globally diversified supply chain network for strategic agricultural commodities, and heavy investment in agricultural technology have boosted self-sufficiency.

　　Modern Chinese pig and dairy farms are rapidly narrowing the productivity gap with top-tier producers in Denmark and the Netherlands, ensuring stable domestic supply while reducing overreliance on single-source imports.

　　China has become the world"s largest baby milk market and a premier market for Western quick-service restaurant chains such as McDonald"s, KFC and Starbucks, reflecting an uptick in consumer demand and evolving consumption trends.