On Feeding the Masses: An Anatomy of Regulatory Failure in China

China's food safety system is in crisis due to egregious scandals, such as the sale of liquor laced with Viagra and the distribution of fake eggs. On Feeding the Masses focuses on the concept of scale to identify the root causes of China's regulatory failures in food safety, highlighting how regulators disagree on which level of government is best suited to regulate, struggle to address multilevel tensions, and fail to understand how policies at one level of government can affect other levels of government.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 278 pages
Publication date: 21 January 2021
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

China's food safety system faces a critical crisis, with a series of egregious scandals revealing the limitations of regulatory practices in the world's largest food production system. The book "On Feeding the Masses" delves into the concept of scale, often overlooked but crucial in understanding the root causes of China's regulatory failures in food safety. The politics of scale framework highlights the disagreements among regulators regarding the appropriate level of government for regulation, the challenges of managing multilevel tensions, and the potential for policies at one level of government to have unintended consequences at other levels.

Drawing from over 200 interviews with food safety regulators and producers, the study offers a comprehensive account of China's food safety crisis. It sheds light on the challenges faced by regulators in a complex and rapidly evolving food industry, where the scale of production and distribution creates unique complexities. The book explores the various factors contributing to the crisis, including weak enforcement mechanisms, corruption, and a lack of transparency. It also examines the efforts made by Chinese authorities to address the problem, including the establishment of new regulations and the implementation of food safety audits.

While "On Feeding the Masses" provides valuable insights into China's food safety crisis, it also raises important questions about the broader implications of regulatory failures in the food industry. The book highlights the need for more effective and coordinated regulation at all levels of government, as well as the importance of transparency, accountability, and consumer education in ensuring food safety.

In conclusion, China's food safety system faces a critical crisis, and "On Feeding the Masses" offers a comprehensive analysis of the factors contributing to this problem. The book highlights the need for more effective and coordinated regulation, as well as the importance of transparency, accountability, and consumer education in ensuring food safety. It is a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate about food safety and should be read by policymakers, industry professionals, and concerned citizens alike.

Weight: 428g
Dimension: 151 x 229 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781316648971