Milk-and-Dairy-Products-in-Human-Nutrition-FAO

18
Milk and dairy products in human nutrition
Box 2.1
Differences in patterns of dairy production and consumption in China:
north–south, urban–rural
Per capita consumption of dairy products is increasing rapidly in China, but is still
low compared with other developing countries and developed countries in particular
(Wang and Li, 2008). Since 2000, the government has put in place a set of policies
to promote dairy production and technology development, supported by considerable
investment. However, the rapid growth of the sector has led to new challenges
and overwhelmed monitoring and control measures, as illustrated by the melamine
scandal in 2008 (APHCA, 2009; Pei et al., 2011).
Traditionally, Chinese diets were primarily plant based; milk and dairy products were
not commonly consumed and were perceived as therapeutic food for the elderly, the
infirm and the young. Economic growth and urbanization, along with the more sophisticated
marketing channels that have accompanied these trends, have led to significant
changes in dietary patterns, and milk and other dairy products are slowly being incorporated
into the diet. Current government guidelines that recommend regular milk
consumption have further challenged traditional preferences (Fuller et al., 2005; Dong
and Fuller, 2007). Fuller et al. (2006) reported that milk consumption doubled between
1996 and 2003 in households in the lowest 10 percent of the income distribution.
There are major differences in milk consumption and production between rural
and urban areas, as well as between regions. Milk consumption is much higher in
urban areas than in rural areas: for example, Fuller et al. (2005) reported that a “typical”
rural resident consumed 2.5 kg of milk in 1990, compared with 7.5 kg for their
urban counterpart. In part this is because intensive production operations are more
common near large cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, thus increasing availability in
these urban areas (Yang, Macaulay and Shen, 2004). The apparently low level of milk
consumption in rural areas may also be the result of unrecorded home-consumption
of milk (Ma et al., 2004; Wang, Zhou and Shen, 2008).
Regional variations in production and consumption may be attributed in part
to historical differences and cultural preferences (Shono, Suzuki and Kaiser, 2000).
Approximately 85 percent of China’s milk is produced in northern China, which has
the best climate for dairying and greatest feed availability (Wang, Zhou and Shen,
2008). However, 60 percent of the human population live in the south of the country,
creating difficulties in matching supply and demand.
Source: APHCA, 2009; Dong and Fuller, 2007; Fuller et al., 2005; Fuller et al., 2006; Ma et al., 2004; Pei et al., 2011; Shono,
Suzuki and Kaiser, 2000; Wang and Li, 2008; Wang, Zhou and Shen, 2008; Yang, Macaulay and Shen, 2004.
(Figure 2.8). The increase is greatest in East and Southeast Asia and South Asia, and
is particularly marked in the case of butter and ghee: in 2007 South Asia accounted
for around 40 percent of total consumption of butter and ghee, up from less than
20 percent in 1987.