They’re young, they have more money to spend, they look at labels, and they want convenient, adventurous,and, most of all, safe food.
They’re China’s new generation of middle-class urban consumers. Shanghai U.S. Agricultural Trade Office Director Wayne Batwin sees “a lot of future” in value-added U.S. exports, given that China’s growing middle-class is “very young” -- on average,
25 to 44.
“Western products are very welcome in China, but it has to do with income and age,” Batwin related. Urbanization has led to more Chinese eating out and seeking pre-packaged, pre-cooked alternatives not available at the local “wet market”, “and that’s good for our products,” he said.
FarmWeek's Martin Ross also interviewed Hong Kong Foreign Ag Service representative Anita Katial about the new Chinese consumer.
