Violence
In a world that has been torn apart at its seams because of greed and climate change, violence is rampant. With limited social services (like police and fire services), many people are left to fend for themselves as they navigate the increasingly harsh world. For many in the world of Land of Milk and Honey, violence has quickly shifted from the option of last resort to the first option. They use violence and brute strength as a way to get what they want; they have no finesse, and words and reason don't seem to matter to anyone. For example, the chef witnesses violence in the new mountaintop colony she goes to. As with her previous home, violence in the colony is committed to accomplishing something; however, it is done as a last resort, not a first resort.
Climate change
Zhang's novel is set against the backdrop of a world that has undergone significant changes as a result of climate change. That climate change, which was caused in large part by human activity, caused the degradation of society, transforming it into a dystopian hellscape. In many ways, Land of Milk and Honey is a warning: if humans continue on their current path, Earth could look like it does in Zhang's novel. In other words, if humans don't cease polluting the Earth, then they will destroy it. And the novel doesn't want that to happen.
Food
Naturally, food plays an important role in Land of Milk and Honey. The main character of the novel, the unnamed chef, is afforded unique opportunities because she is able to cook well. For instance, she is given the opportunity to leave her crumbling city and live in a seemingly picturesque mountaintop colony to work for a family as their personal chef.
Food, which provides nourishment and life to everyone around the world, allows the protagonist an opportunity to better her life. Without food, the world, as the characters in Zhang's novel know it, wouldn't exist. To that end, the plentiful wealth and food in the colony also allow sinister things, including violence and manipulation, to occur. After all, those who control the food control the world.
