Research on the Construction of China’s Provincial Food Security Evaluation System and Regional Performance—Based on the “Great Food View”

Abstract

Based on the internationally recognized concept of food security and the scientific connotation of the “Great Food View”. This research constructs China’s provincial food security evaluation system under the “Great Food View” by comprehensively considering the regional food supply logic and dietary habits differences. Combining the improved entropy weight method and AHP to quantitatively evaluate the current situation and trend of food security in China’s provinces (except Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) from 2009 to 2021 by using this system—on the basis of dividing China’s provinces into main food production provinces and non-main food production provinces. The results demonstrate that all provinces have entered the ranks of “security” and above food security, and the mismatch between “high vulnerability and low security” has been alleviated. Yet, the problem of “difficult growth” in the provinces with the lowest score of food security has emerged. The green and sustainability of the food security system in the main food production areas have been at a low level, and the food security in non-main food production areas has seen the “Matthew effect” of uneven development. Finally, policy implications are proposed from the aspects of diversified development of food sources, precision agriculture subsidy guide, optimization of farmland compensation and protection policies, and optimization of food storage and distribution.

Keywords

• “Great Food View”
• food security
• index evaluation
• entropy weight method
• AHP method