Migrant Remittances and Food Security: The Case of Translocal Households in Rural China

This project aims to investigate the food security situation and the degree of rural-urban connection among rural end of migrant-sending households in Nanjing and its surrounding areas in China. The focus of this study is to understand how food security conditions of migrant-sending households are connected to household members who have migrated to urban areas, through localized surveys and in-depth interviews conducted in rural regions. Specifically, the research aims to: (1) analyze the basic characteristics of migrant-sending households​, including household structure, patterns of agricultural participation, types of economic activities, and income status; (2) investigate the food insecurity situations, food sources, and consumption characteristics of such rural households, and the reasons for migration from rural to urban areas; (3) examine the impact of migration and remittances on food security for household members on both the rural and urban ends, the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on migration, remittances and food security, and whether there are differences among regions with varying levels of urbanization. The methodology includes a survey with 600 households and in-depth interviews with migrant-sending households in rural Nanjing and the rural areas of adjacent Zhenjiang City and Chuzhou City.