An Organic Food Movement in China?

Yes, It's true. About 15 years ago the organic movement in China began, mainly fueled by increased overseas demand. Organics in the U.S. , Japan, and Europe were beginning to emerge, and China wanted to be a big player in the export of organic products. They are.

When I think of China, I think of products and food produced as cheaply as possible. This has led to some health scares, as in tainted milk, bacteria laden fish, and toys painted with lead based paint. However, to compete in this global economy, countries like China have to move with programs like organic farming, or be left behind.

The Organic Food Development Center, founded in 1994, is the oldest and largest specialized organic resarch, inspection and certification organization in China. It has been running annually national and regional workshops on organics food development and techniques. It's mission is to ensure human health and protect ecological environment through promoting sustainable agriculture.

Recent years have seen a surge in organic farming. The demand is driven by an explosion of organic food sales overseas. China's big cities, like Beijing and Shanghai have many specialized shops for organic food, selling vegetables, tea, rice honey and and fruits. Growth in domestic demand has been spurred by rising urban incomes, the emergence of an affluent middle class and because of an increasing number of food safety scandals. It seems to me that as a society becomes more affluent, it's people are more interested in health and nutrition. Can a Whole Foods store in China be far behind? We'll see.