For the past three decades an onslaught of urban development, desertification, and pollution has been eating away at China鈥檚 once-endless sprawl of tiny farms. How can the country address the dilemma of ramping up urbanization and maintaining food safety and security?
For the past three decades an onslaught of urban development, desertification, and pollution has been eating away at China鈥檚 once-endless sprawl of tiny farms. China is facing radical challenge to feed its large population. 鈥淵ou have urbanization 鈥 people travel abroad,鈥 says Susan Chan Shifflett, China Environment Forum鈥檚 associate. 鈥淭hey go to France, they see cheese, and they think, 鈥榳hy can鈥檛 I have brie in China?鈥 They鈥檙e changing their diets 鈥 meat consumption has quadrupled over the past 30 years.鈥
However, China must feed a fifth of the world鈥檚 population with about 7% of its arable land, according to the UN鈥檚 food and agriculture organization, and nearly half of that land has been 鈥渄egraded鈥 by decades of unchecked development. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a zero-sum game,鈥 said Shifflett. 鈥淵ou have less and less resources, but more and more people who need them.鈥
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