estimated to bring 13.4 percent of the rural popu- lation (or 128 million people) under the poverty alleviation program, which will have significant implications for poverty reduction and household food security. China’s ability to feed a population growing in


both size and income has been impressive consid- ering the country’s natural-resource constraints. China supported more than 20 percent of the world’s population and achieved nearly 98 percent overall food self-sufficiency in 2010 despite per capita water availability that is only one-fourth of the world average and arable land that accounted for only 8 percent of the world total. China’s grain production grew for seven consecutive years from 2004 to 2010, and the government estimates that grain production surpassed 570 million tons in 2011, exceeding the record set just a year earlier. China’s agricultural success in the past


three decades has contributed significantly to


improved national food security. The driving forces of this success include China’s household responsibility system, which distributed land equally to rural households; the application of science and technology to agriculture; invest- ing in agricultural land and water; and market reform. However, it is hard to see how these suc- cesses can continue without significant inno- vation. For example, as Chinese citizens have seen their incomes increase, their demand for meat has also increased. This led China to shift from being a net exporter of maize—which is used as feed for farm animals—to a net importer in 2010. Given China’s natural resource con- straints, the country will likely become a more important maize importer in the near future, making its food security more dependent on other countries. It is clear that while China’s accomplishments are impressive, great food- security challenges remain. ■


REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS


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