Unequal exchange and food terms of trade for China

This article aims to analyze the repercussions of food trade between China and various regions of the world to understand the dynamics of food flows and offer a novel perspective on the contemporary globalization process. Understanding these flows involves analyzing the global production and commercialization of food and the effects of these movements on exporting and importing countries in economic terms and food security. The concept of unequal caloric exchange is applied to the case of China, which allows for an understanding of how its economic growth and participation in international trade have transformed its global and internal commercial dynamics by establishing links with self-sufficiency and the composition of its population’s diet. The results show that China is increasingly dependent on international markets for its food supply. From 1961 to 2021, food consumption in China has tripled in calories and experienced qualitative changes, with a reduction in high-quality carbohydrates and vegetable proteins and an increase in cereals, vegetable oils, alcohol, and vegetables. This dietary transformation is related to economic growth and greater dependence on international trade. From 1987 to 2022, China has shown a growing deficit in the food trade balance, with imports exceeding exports in volume, value, and calories, although it maintains favorable terms of trade. Food self-sufficiency has decreased from 95% in 1961 to 76% in 2022, and the diet has diversified, replacing traditional foods with products demanded in international trade.