Embodied pasture land use change in China 2000-2015: From the perspective of globalization

Rapid population increase, urbanization, and dietary changes present an increasing requirement for pasture lands for food processing in China. Globalization increases worldwide economic links. The displacement of pasture lands from one place to another occurs when goods are traded among industries and regions, thereby shifting pressures on local pasture land resources. This paper applies a systems input-output model to examine how pasture lands in China are used to meet the demands of domestic consumption and international trade over the period of 2000-2015. Agriculture and Food Processing were the two major sectors that contributed to the largest volume of embodied pasture land for fulfilling household demands in 2015. Although the total consumption-based pasture land use in China is fluctuating, embodied pasture land intensities exhibited a decreasing trend in 2000-2015, thereby showing the effort of China to improve pasture land use efficiency. Regarding trade patterns, the Agriculture sector is the largest net importer of pasture lands in China, while the Garment sector is the largest net exporter. We also find that China is a net exporter of embodied pasture lands through the study period. This systematic analysis of pasture land use in China is critical in customizing and prioritizing policy recommendations for sustainable pasture land management in China.