According to the market report "Organic Industry Development Report of China" in 2013, almost 10 million tons of organic goods were produced in China, approximately 7 million for the domestic market and the rest for export. This volume was produced on a good 3.5 million hectares – nearly one percent of the total agricultural land in China. Most organic production is concentrated in the north-eastern provinces and on the coast (for example, Heilongjiang, Shandong and Zhejiang). In recent years, organic production in the north-western provinces like Sichuan, Guizhou and Inner Mongolia has been growing apace.
Speak of the difference between organic and other vegetables, Shi Linlin, who works in Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, sent us an infographic above.
The price gap between organic and ordinary vegetables is huge in China, especially in some import supermarkets like BHG Market Place and Jenny Lou's.
Compared with ordinary vegetable, organic selections are more expensive, often costing more than 10 times more. For instance, potato weighing 1 kilogram is sold for 3.58yuan at Jingkelong. The price of organic potato is about 49.8yuan per kilo at BHG Market Place in the Chaoyang district of Beijing.
Compared with ordinary vegetable, organic selections are more expensive, often costing more than 10 times more. For instance, potato weighing 1 kilogram is sold for 3.58yuan at Jingkelong. The price of organic potato is about 49.8yuan per kilo at BHG Market Place in the Chaoyang district of Beijing.
Zhao Xinxin said, "Many parents buy organic vegetables for their kids only because they are too expensive to afford for the whole family." She is a current staff of Phoenix Hills Commune —a biodynamic farm located inside the Beijing Phoenix Hill Nature Park, which is 15km from the city. The commune area is approximately 13.6 hectares.
The Chinese economy is growing rapidly, also is its demand in health food. The organic food products are consuming by an increasing number of middle and upper-class families. Rural and low-income families could not afford the expensive food. Due to the high environment pollution, adopt a bio and organic food as a lifestyle seems significantly important nowadays. The potential of organic products is enormous in this rapidly changing market. As people are paying more attention to food safety and health, consumption of organic vegetables will also show explosive growth. Experts predict that by 2020 China's market demand for organic vegetables will exceed 100 million tons.
According to Chinafile, "the demand for safer food, which includes organics, has taken off in China. The country's rapid economic growth over the past 30 years has devastated its environment. A five-year study conducted by China’s environmental ministry in 2014 showed 20 percent of the country’s farmland to be hazardously polluted. "
A 2016 study by consultancy McKinsey showed that 72 percent of Chinese consumers worry that the food they eat is harmful to their health. Major scandals including high levels of the heavy metal cadmium in rice, exploding watermelons pumped with growth hormones, and the use of the steroid clenbuterol (or "lean meat powder") to induce muscle growth of pigs have made food safety a priority for many Chinese.
“Because the supermarket needs to ensure continuity of their products, no matter what the season is, the suppliers have to ensure that a fixed supply of quantity and type. It's hard to guarantee the authenticity of organic vegetables in supermarkets because we grow different kinds of vegetables every season and the yields are not really stable.” Zhao Xinxin said.
USDA economist Fred Gales claims that it is "almost impossible to grow truly organic food in China."
