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The No. 1 water user & polluter
As China’s No.1 water user & polluter, agriculture is key to water management. China has limited arable land and of that land, water resources are also limited. 70% of China’s wheat & 20% of cotton are grown in the Dry 11 provinces. On top of this, pollution is an issue raising concerns around food safety. Hunan accounts for 13% of China’s rice production but also accounts for 30% of heavy metal discharge.
Food security is paramount to China but so is energy security. How is it balancing both given its limited land and water & soil pollution? Adjusting crop mix is one way. This will have global implications with China already the No.1 producer of pork, wheat, potatoes and tomatoes. Trade is another way, also with global implications. Explore more on agriculture in China in the Big Picture and also discover Asia’s agriculture challenges. Or see our latest reviews and analysis in The Latest.
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