China has been building up its food and energy stockpile this year, taking advantage of slumping crude oil prices even before the coronavirus pandemic disrupted supplies. The world’s second largest economy, which has limited arable land, is facing pressure to shore up its food supplies as prices for food started ticking higher last year, prior to the virus outbreak. Lockdowns and movement restrictions aimed at containing the coronavirus have triggered transportation and logistics bottlenecks. Those blockages have highlighted the vulnerability of global supply chains, and fears of food shortages have come to the forefront of countries, both in developed and emerging economies. Fear is a powerful motivator. It’s driving policy in China currently. Fits well with those hardliners that want […]