Bonus. Feeding 1 in 6. China's Food Future (Part 1)

Episode summary

China is currently the world's largest importer of agricultural products, buying 60% of globally traded soy. But a 2026 consultation paper by SystemIQ argues China may be approaching a turning point. In the coming decades, China could shift from being a net food importer to net food exporter of animal proteins. We dive into the analysis with the paper's authors to see how plausible that scenario might be, what it would take to get there including the role of alternative proteins in that future, and what might be the implications for global food systems.

[ Transcript available ]

About the guests

Anna Morser

Anna Morser is director of Nature and Food team at SystemIQ. Anna advises philanthropic funders, corporates, and coalitions on where to focus effort and investment to accelerate food system change - from turning net‑zero commitments into credible delivery plans, to shaping strategies on protein diversification and long‑term food futures.

Alex Andreoli

Alex Andreoli is Manager at the Nature and Food team at SystemIQ, focusing on the economics of transforming global food and land-use systems. Alongside Anna Morser and Christine Delavinis, Alex was a co-author on China's Food Future consultation paper.

Fengwei Liu

Fengwei Liu is Director of FOLU China, the China platform of the Food and Land Use Coalition - a global network working to advance sustainability, equity, and resilience in food and land use systems. She oversees the platform's strategy and programmes, bringing together leading Chinese institutions to strengthen the evidence base for food system policy reform.