Chinese Consumption

Abstract

Abstract The increase in Chinese consumption has led to a variety of contract farming practices in the Mekong region, where, depending on the type of agricultural products, different non-state Chinese actors engage with local farmers to satisfy Chinese consumers’ demands. This chapter provides a few snapshots of China’s domestic consumption’s ripple effects in mainland Southeast Asia. First, it analyzes the effects of the maize boom in northern Myanmar on its ecological system by showing how rising demand for maize in China has led to an accelerated rate of deforestation. The chapter then presents the story of how China’s demand for beef has led to a transnational network of live cattle smuggling. It then looks at the case of Chinese demand for durian and watermelon and its implications for business networks in Thailand and Myanmar. Finally, the chapter examines Chinese businesses’ commercial banana plantation in Laos and their environmental externalities.