China feeds 22% of the world's population with only 7% of the planet's arable land. The land is heavily used for agriculture. Vegetables are planted on roadsides, in traffic triangles and along the walls of many buildings. Despite this, China has lost a fifth of its arable land since 1949. Only about 10-15% of land in China is suitable for agriculture (compared to 1% in Saudi Arabia, 50% in India, 20% in the United States, and 32% in France). There are 545,960 square kilometers of irrigated land in China. 40% of China's cropland is irrigated, compared to 23% in India. The average yield per acre in China is double that of India. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayChina has traditionally struggled to feed its large population. Even into the 20th century, famines periodically devastated the Chinese population. Great emphasis has always been placed on agricultural production, but climate, wars and politics have often tempered good intentions. As reforms began in the late 1970s, the relative share of agriculture in gross domestic product (GDP) began to increase annually. Driven by sharp increases in prices paid for crops and a trend toward privatization of agriculture, agricultural production increased from 30 percent of GDP in 1980 to 33 percent of GDP in 1983. Since then, however, its share of The economy has declined. at the same time as the service sector grew. In 2004, agriculture (including forestry and fishing) produced only 15.2% of China's GDP, but it continues to be enormous by any measure. In 2004, approximately 46.9% of the total national workforce was engaged in agriculture, forestry, and fishing. [Source: Library of Congress] China is the world's largest consumer of meat and grains. As people become more affluent, they consume more meat and cooking oil and this has led to an increase in demand for soybeans as a source of oil and feed for livestock. China also uses more fertilizer than any other country. David Pierson wrote in the Los Angeles Times: “Unlike large, highly mechanized American farms, a typical Chinese farm measures less than an acre and is worked by hand. It is a legacy of communist reform, when the state took control of China's farmland and divided it into small plots. While this system has kept rural residents employed, it has slowed China's ability to raise their incomes. With China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, food export opportunities developed, leading to even more efficient agricultural techniques. As a result, traditional areas such as grain production have declined in favor of fruit and vegetable crops for domestic and export trade. [Source: Library of Congress] Keep in mind: This is just one example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The improvement of agricultural policies and technologies has given China a high level of self-sufficiency and growth. But the country's main economic planning body warned that this would be difficult to maintain. The lack of agricultural subsidies and the expropriation of agricultural land for urban construction have paralyzed agriculture. As more farmers move to cities, attracted by better housing, education and other incentives, maintaining food supplies becomes weaker. A Chinese agricultural expert told the.”