FOOD SYSTEM OF ALLIUM VEGETABLES IN EAST ASIA

Abstract

Food System Theory looks at the food question in an integrated manner that covers the industrial chain of production, processing, marketing (including import and export) and consumption, and its significance is increasing with the progress of globalization. In the East Asian countries of Japan, China and Korea, the focus of this study, Allium vegetables including the Japanese bunching onion and garlic have long been an indispensable part of people’s daily diets, and the onion has seen expanded consumption among recent generations. Together, these are an important component of the modern diet, and production has increased; currently 64.3% of the world’s onions are produced in Asia, with 30.4% coming from China, 3.4% from Japan and 2.2% from Korea. Japan, China and Korea are closely related in terms of agricultural trade. Exports from China have a great effect on production, circulation and consumption in Japan and Korea, especially with regard to the issue of food safety, which is becoming more and more important as consumer awareness rises. China is an exporter, while Japan and Korea are importers. For instance, China produces 15 million tons of onions, of which it exports 500 thousand tons - as much as half of Japan's production, and one third of Korea's. Thus, there is a marked dependence on imports from China. In Japan, domestic production is maintained on the farmer side by improvements in product quality and processing practices. However, imports have risen to the demand for low-priced goods in the food service and ready-made meal industries. In China, the income of the middle class has expanded, and with consumers voicing increasing concerns about food safety, it seems that the time has come for international cooperation toward higher productivity and better production management systems.