How is China able to provide enough food to feed over 1B people? • Hacker News Board

Re: How is China able to provide enough food to feed over 1B people?

#161

Post by alexron782 » Sat, Jul 27, 2019, 12:31 AM UTC

rajeshp1986 wrote: post #97

I was really impressed by the top answer until I read this statement. "I mean, the Chinese government has also forced Tibetans to build a massive amount of greenhouses on the Tibetan plateau. Those Tibetans have no time to go to temples for worshipping any more, instead, they have to work in the greenhouses taking care of tomatoes. This is why Dalai Lama is not so happy to hear this." What??

You should post the following paragraph as well:

"As a result, the average vegetable price in Tibet has reduced by 90% over the past decade and they don’t have to import vegetables from nearby provinces anymore. Most of the Tibetans can finally afford to eat watermelons. Who doesn’t like eating watermelons?

You know that most Tibetans historically only eat yak meat, milk, cheese, and bread? They couldn’t grow anything in such a harsh climate. Only monks could have the luxury to eat vegetables. Now it is the solid proof that the Chinese government didn’t just destroy temples in Tibetan culture but helped them eat vegetables and fruits."

Re: How is China able to provide enough food to feed over 1B people?

#162

Post by nafeta » Sat, Jul 27, 2019, 12:34 AM UTC

nine_k wrote: post #150

lph wrote: post #136

One thing that's not mentioned is that the freshness and variety of produce available in China is fantastic. There's much less refrigeration and transportation, so there's a good chance the produce you buy at the local street market came from nearby fields very recently. Seeing this as a visitor from the US is quite a revelation.

Which places did you visit, and observed this? I bet it's characteristic for large cities where the amount of produce consumed is large, and prices are higher.

> and prices are higher.

If it's anything like Chinatown produce in the U.S., it will be quite cheap:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-fruits-and-veggies-are-so-c...

Re: How is China able to provide enough food to feed over 1B people?

#163

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Jul 27, 2019, 12:35 AM UTC

tombh wrote: post #155

qkhhly wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I grew up in China and had all my education in China up until my undergrad. I got my PhD in a top US school. I consider myself highly educated even in US standards. When I was in China, I was very concerned about my country and my government. I was worried and feeling hopeless of my country. Man, was I young and naive. I have since lived in the US for almost ten years. Five years for my PhD and almost five years for…

I can appreciate your point, but I think it'd be good to say why. I'm European, so for example I found the GFW to be a refreshing and ultimately beneficial contribution to the world, simply because it maintains diversity - a global monoculture would cause serious problems. This isn't to say that Chinese policies are right, but rather that going against the West does not automatically signify malign intent. Indeed it…

[deleted]

Re: How is China able to provide enough food to feed over 1B people?

#164

Post by erikig » Sat, Jul 27, 2019, 12:39 AM UTC

thefounder wrote: post #159

chiefalchemist wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

World-wide more people die from the "side effects" (i.e., obesity) of too much food, than not enough food. https://www.pri.org/stories/2014-11-28/more-people-die-eatin...

Junk food is not "real" food

Any single food in inappropriate quantities can be called junk food, any food eaten in moderation and with variety can be appropriately nutritious...

Re: How is China able to provide enough food to feed over 1B people?

#165

Post by SpicyLemonZest » Sat, Jul 27, 2019, 12:39 AM UTC

Aunche wrote: post #80

dmix wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even the first answer has “Western media won’t tell you this”. Like there’s some western conspiracy to downplay Chinese agriculture industry. The Chinese media is constantly telling their people that the US is plotting against China and is hostile to them, so the citizens don’t get any crazy ideas like democracy and human rights. While simultaneously amplifying the bad news coming out of America to show the ‘dangers’…

Chinese propaganda is definitely part of reason Chinese people online are unusually defensive. However, it doesn't help that a lot of "facts" about China that circulate on the internet are completely false. "Facts" like this one: > Plus there is a large group of astroturfers constantly scanning the web for mentions of China (aka “50 cent army”). The 50 cent army is really a China-only thing. I highly doubt that China…

They’re running concentration camps for a million people, on the grounds that some small number of them might end up being Islamic terrorists in the future. I don’t think paying a few people to sow discord on Reddit would be the most absurd use of resources they have.

Re: How is China able to provide enough food to feed over 1B people?

#166

Post by tyingq » Sat, Jul 27, 2019, 12:42 AM UTC

lph wrote: post #132

tyingq wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does everyone have a job, no homelessness, etc?

You don't see visible homelessness nearly as much as in US big cities. Chinese friends I've discussed this with attribute it to familial piety acting as a much stronger safety net; people will make big sacrifices to save their relatives from total failure. It's expected, and a stark contrast to the American notion of extreme individualism. There's also no opiod epidemic.

That's interesting...so more societal than government structure.

Anyone know what the closest remaining country is to actual communist dogma is? Vietnam? Cuba?

Also interested in what the most purely socialist country might be.

Re: How is China able to provide enough food to feed over 1B people?

#167

Post by jolmg » Sat, Jul 27, 2019, 12:45 AM UTC

einpoklum wrote: post #54

The question should really be "How are many national economies keeping innumerable people hungry, even though there's plenty of food to go around several times over?" In most places in the world it's easy and cheap enough to produce food and distribute it. Actually, it's so easy and cheap that many world states artificially subsidize agriculture/livestock farming/etc. to prevent them from collapsing due to low prices…

Doesn't the fact that they're subsidized to keep them from collapsing due to low prices mean the opposite of it being easy and cheap?

If the subsidies were removed, the farmers/etc would need to raise their prices to pay for whatever the subsidies paid. That new higher price would reflect the real cost of production. The subsidies are there to keep prices low and accessible despite a higher cost of production.

Re: How is China able to provide enough food to feed over 1B people?

#168

Post by chiefalchemist » Sat, Jul 27, 2019, 12:48 AM UTC

thefounder wrote: post #159

chiefalchemist wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

World-wide more people die from the "side effects" (i.e., obesity) of too much food, than not enough food. https://www.pri.org/stories/2014-11-28/more-people-die-eatin...

Junk food is not "real" food

Regardless. Death is death. And while we have traditionally feared shortage, the truth is excess - albeit of the wrong "foods" - is now the bigger problem.

Re: How is China able to provide enough food to feed over 1B people?

#169

Post by chaostheory » Sat, Jul 27, 2019, 12:56 AM UTC

nine_k wrote: post #152

leereeves wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The comment basically says that China has forced the Tibetans into slavery. Is that typical of Chinese propaganda? > the Chinese government has also forced Tibetans to build a massive amount of greenhouses...they have to work in the greenhouses taking care of tomatoes.

Did Chinese government ever mention liberty as a value? Their story is peace, satiety, social harmony, collective achievement and glory — as long as subjects conform.

Well China's national anthem makes a point about her people not being slaves... so much for that fantasy. That said, it's still a great accomplishment being able to provide cheap produce (that we take for granted) to the middle class in Tibet, a region that's not known for it.

Re: How is China able to provide enough food to feed over 1B people?

#170

Post by ModernMech » Sat, Jul 27, 2019, 1:00 AM UTC

jolmg wrote: post #167

einpoklum wrote: post #54

The question should really be "How are many national economies keeping innumerable people hungry, even though there's plenty of food to go around several times over?" In most places in the world it's easy and cheap enough to produce food and distribute it. Actually, it's so easy and cheap that many world states artificially subsidize agriculture/livestock farming/etc. to prevent them from collapsing due to low prices…

Doesn't the fact that they're subsidized to keep them from collapsing due to low prices mean the opposite of it being easy and cheap? If the subsidies were removed, the farmers/etc would need to raise their prices to pay for whatever the subsidies paid. That new higher price would reflect the real cost of production. The subsidies are there to keep prices low and accessible despite a higher cost of production.

Well if you take corn for instance, we use a large portion of that to create high fructose corn syrup. The government subsidizes it to keep prices low, so that it's cheap enough to stick in everything from soft drinks to salad dressing to bread. We don't actually need all that sugar; it's keeping Americans fat and unhealthy. But I'll leave you to draw the obvious conclusions about what a fat sugar-addicted population does for revenue.