Chinese agriculture currently faces major environmental challenges. China’s applications of fertilizers and pesticides are among the highest in the world, which in turn has negative impacts on human health and environment. Soil erosion and soil pollution are widespread, as is the loss of agricultural biodiversity as high-yielding hybrid crop varieties replace traditional landraces. Water scarcity affects many parts of the country, as evidenced by plummeting water tables in northern China. Meanwhile, food safety risks €“ exemplified by a series of well-publicized incidents such as the 2008 milk-melamine scandal are a source of great public anxiety.
