Chinese people's consumption of organic food is now twice that of the Japanese, who have always placed considerable emphasis on health.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11266/
In China, the total market value of organic food reached 10 billion yuan this year, four times that of five years ago. This increase in consumer demand stems from a series of fears among Chinese consumers, including toxic soybeans, contaminated pork and milk powder, poisonous dumplings containing pesticides, chicken tainted with chemicals, and a substance increasingly drawing public concern known in China as “gutter oil.”文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11266/
Xie Lili, 25, runs an online organic food store. Since the gutter oil scandal was exposed, her store has seen tremendous growth. Organic salt, oil, and seasonings in particular have seen sales increase 10 to 15 times compared to before. She said people are now very frightened and would rather cook at home themselves.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11266/
To encourage sustainable farming, the Shanghai municipal government allocated 140 million yuan to support the development of organic agriculture and dispatched agricultural experts from local universities to research emerging farming methods. However, an agricultural expert surnamed Wang said it will take at least 10 years for organic food to become mainstream, because it is currently relatively expensive and Chinese people tend to judge the quality of food by its appearance, whereas organic fruits and vegetables mostly have holes and uneven surfaces, which makes them look less aesthetically appealing.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11266/