Less Info

Few cities exemplify China’s challenge to balance farming with development better than Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province and once a waystation along the ancient southern Silk Road. The moist, mild climate has made the region the year-round vegetable garden of China. Over the past two decades, the area’s population has grown from 2.4 million to 8.5 million, driven by rural migrants searching for better jobs in the thriving industrial and horticultural center of southern China, where tubular greenhouses growing fruits, vegetables, and cut flowers now compete with Western-like suburbs. By 2018, half of China’s population—more than 700 million people—were considered middle income (defined as per capita spending of US $10–$50/day), and their changing fortunes are shifting choices in both food and architecture closer to those of Western countries. Meat consumption in China has tripled since the early 1990s, while increased consumption of fats, salt, and processed junk foods has led to a marked increase in heart disease, diabetes, and childhood obesity.

Filename
STNMTZ_20170410_38844.TIF
Copyright
©2017 George Steinmetz
Image Size
5024x3762 / 54.1MB
www.GeorgeSteinmetz.com
Contained in galleries
Few cities exemplify China’s challenge to balance farming with development better than Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province and once a waystation along the ancient southern Silk Road. The moist, mild climate has made the region the year-round vegetable garden of China. Over the past two decades, the area’s population has grown from 2.4 million to 8.5 million, driven by rural migrants searching for better jobs in the thriving industrial and horticultural center of southern China, where tubular greenhouses growing fruits, vegetables, and cut flowers now compete with Western-like suburbs. By 2018, half of China’s population—more than 700 million people—were considered middle income (defined as per capita spending of US $10–$50/day), and their changing fortunes are shifting choices in both food and architecture closer to those of Western countries. Meat consumption in China has tripled since the early 1990s, while increased consumption of fats, salt, and processed junk foods has led to a marked increase in heart disease, diabetes, and childhood obesity.

All images ©George Steinmetz. Please contact us for usage.