Abstract
Peppers (Capsicum spp.) are used as food items, and particularly condiments, across most of the world. Accordingly, these vegetables occupy the largest annual stable planting area (>21,000 km2) in China. However, pepper growth, cultivation systems, yield formation, and cultivar traits vary among different environments. China is characteristic for its widely diverse terrains and high ecological heterogeneity, which determine its unique pepper consumption habits and cultivation patterns. The present study provides a comprehensive overview and analysis of the geographical and ecological characteristics of Chinese pepper consumption habits and cultivation systems, and the influence of climatic and human factors on the national pepper planting industry. For this, we analyzed detailed geospatial datasets and reviewed relevant policy papers and academic literature. Based on those findings, we then proposed sustainable management strategies for China's pepper industry; we offered suggestions for aligning the continued development of pepper cultivation with the national objective of achieving an ecological civilization and the nutritional requirements of an increasingly affluent and diverse population.
Highlights
Food production is an ecosystem service that is vital for human survival [1, 2] and conventional agriculture has allowed the augmentation of this production; it affects ecosystem-regulating and -supporting services, such as climate and water regulation, biodiversity, and soil conservation [3,4,5]
China). (i) The field data were gleaned from annual statistics in various regions of China. (ii) Data on the spiciness levels of pepper were compiled from multiple questionnaires, surveys, and expert ratings conducted nationwide. (iii) Pepper consumption statistics were acquired from sampling surveys conducted at experimental stations within the NISSV
Jiangsu Province did not accept this new type of pepper, the crop was received in Shandong Province, where it was quickly accepted as an alternative to the Chinese pepper and spread to other provinces in northern China, where it became known as “Qin-pepper” [33, 34]
Summary
Food production is an ecosystem service that is vital for human survival [1, 2] and conventional agriculture has allowed the augmentation of this production; it affects ecosystem-regulating and -supporting services, such as climate and water regulation, biodiversity, and soil conservation [3,4,5]. ∼100 million laborers are engaged in vegetable production in China and the annual value of the vegetable industry output has reached two trillion CNY This represents a fundamental industry in the agricultural and rural areas of China, as it is important to ensure food security, maintain laborer employment, expand international trade, and stabilize farmer income [10]. After more than 400 years of development, pepper has become an important vegetable and condiment that plays a major role in maintaining the annual vegetable supply for urban and rural residents [29] It has become the most widely planted vegetable and the most heavily consumed spicy condiment in China. We hope to lay a foundation for further research on this topic and for the implementation of policies that align the national goals of building an ecological civilization and the sustainable development of the massive pepper industry, as well as the agricultural sector overall
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