Asia

The U.S. Grains Council has released a report that states – the sophisticated food demands of newly affluent consumers in China and other developing nations are likely to cause major change in U.S. farming and food production, Asian food policy and world trade. USGC President and Chief Executive Officer Thomas Dorr presented a preview of Food 2040 at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual Agricultural Outlook Forum.

Dorr says – we are seeing China become more open to acceptance of new technology, such as agricultural biotechnology, which can help meet the needs of the Asian middle class in a sustainable manner through trade. U.S. attitudes about feeding the world are likely to change too. USGC Chairman Dr. Wendell Shauman, an Illinois corn farmer, points out that – many of the agribusinesses and agricultural organizations that comprise the U.S. Grains Council are starting to review possibilities for meeting the needs and capturing the economic value that ascendency of the Asian middle class represents.

Other changes talked about in the report include: China is on a path to global bioscience leadership, driven by major central government investments to meet its own food needs and a desire to be an export leader. A well-developed food safety and inspection system could be ahead. China is likely to adopt Japan’s rapid acceptance of foods prepared outside the home.