Rural Urban Migration and Food Sustainability in China

Abstract

The movement of people from rural areas to urban areas has been common. People move to urban areas to search for green pastures. The movement of people from rural areas to urban areas leaves the rural with fewer people for farm production. Thus, the study sought to examine the effect of rural-urban migration on food sustainability in China. The study adopted the descriptive research design. The collection of the data was done using questionnaires. The purposive sampling technique was employed to get the sample size. The analysis of the data was done using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of the study showed that rural-urban migration has resulted in few people remaining in the rural areas to do farming. Rural-urban migration has a negative impact on food sustainability in China. Migration from rural to city areas reduces the labour force in the agriculture industry and consequently has a negative effect on its economic development and food sustainability. The rural-urban migration threatens food security, through the decrease in farming production. The study noted that factors influencing migration include the presence of better social amenities, the presence of good schools and hospital facilities and refreshments in urban areas. The study concluded that migration from rural areas to urban areas has a negative impact on food sustainability in China. The study recommended that policies should be put in place which see in the lowering of rural-urban movement by raising the per capita income in rural areas through agricultural investment. The government should give technical products and ample extension services, and offer subsidies to achieve a considerable breakthrough in the agricultural sector. Government and non-governmental agencies need to exert more effort to enlighten the masses on the detrimental effect of rural-urban migration on food security.