China’s food security is also deteriorating, the consequence of increasing consumption (a good thing) and the resulting devastation of arable land (a bad thing).38 In 2008, China became a net importer of grain, breaking its traditional policy of self-sufficiency.39 In 2011, China became the world’s largest importer of agricultural products. The government is trying to regain self-sufficiency by heavily subsidizing farmers, but doing so is simply accelerating the depletion of agricultural land.
