The task of better feeding China

Management of land and water resources must be strengthened to ensure healthy growth of food production to meet demand

How to better feed its huge population remains a constant concern for China. The country's food security has improved significantly and the number of undernourished people has declined considerably over the past three decades. But increasing consumption and growing resource constraints, as a result of China's rapid economic growth, have made better feeding China a daunting task.

The fact that it has comparatively little arable land and freshwater sources has made self-sufficiency in food, especially in the two staples of rice and wheat, the top priority for China. Its achievements in this regard, though, have been remarkable since the late 1970s when agricultural and rural reforms were introduced.