Urbanization in China threatens nation’s food security
March 28th, 2011 - 4:58 pm ICT by ANIBeijing, Mar.28 (ANI): Rapid urbanization in China is emerging as the reason for the sharp decrease in the country’s arable land, and this poses a food security threat, claims a senior official.
“We should not excessively turn farmland into urban areas. Grain security should be given priority,” said Yang Weimin, Secretary-General of the National Development and Reform Commission.
Yang pointed out the country has approved over 1,500 national and provincial level industrial development zones, which accounts for nearly a million hectares.
“But not all places need to massively boost industrialization and urbanization. For example, we should leave major agricultural and ecological areas as they are and limit their urbanization,” The China Daily quoted Weimin, as saying.
Earlier, Chen Xiwen, Director of the office for the Communist Party of China Central Committee’s Leading Group on Rural Work, said China’s arable land has declined by 8.3 million hectares in the past 12 years partly due to urbanization.
He said the pursuit of high urbanization was unnecessary and that ensuring balanced urbanization and rural development was more important. (ANI)
- China needs quality improvement in urban life - Mar 26, 2012
- China seeks balance between food security, urbanisation - Oct 05, 2008
- China added 12 mn new jobs in 2011 - Dec 29, 2011
- China outlines first long-term grain security plan - Nov 13, 2008
- China's State Council warns state governments not to abuse rural land-use reform - Apr 04, 2011
- China to spend $158 bn in agriculture, rural development - Dec 29, 2011
- Sikkim gets marginal hike in funds for annual plan (With Images) - Apr 13, 2012
- South African government accelerates land reforms - Apr 23, 2012
- China faces huge employment challenges - Mar 07, 2012
- Frequent droughts posing potential threat to food security in China - Feb 18, 2011
- Over 9 hectares of forests lost per minute: UN report - Dec 01, 2011
- India sees reduction in wastlelands - Apr 25, 2012
- Rapid urbanisation leading to shrinking of Kashmir's agriculture land - Sep 30, 2010
- Ethiopia offers India farmland, 40 percent the size of Punjab (Lead) - Feb 02, 2011
- Snowfall brings respite to wheat crops in China (Lead) - Feb 11, 2011
Tags: arable land, beijing, central committee, china daily, communist party of china, ecological areas, farmland, food security, hectares, industrialization and urbanization, leading group, priority, rapid urbanization, rural development, secretary general, security threat, urban areas, urbanization in china, weimin