The current and past agricultural practices in China have caused an environmental problem nationally and globally. Although there is clear evidence that something needs to be done to change China’s sustainability, there hasn’t been any action engineered that has successfully led to an acceptable level of health. China is known as one of the largest consumers and producers for many products, so its agricultural practices are not only important to China but also to those who depend on China for sustenance. Additionally China is a heavily populated country so its agricultural practices need to be safely executed to keep the country environmentally healthy and its citizens in good health through food security. This however is not what is happening
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The north and northwest compose half of the total area of China yet they have less than 20% of the total national available water sources, (Deng, Shan, Zhang, Turner 23). Since the southeast has more water resources, the arable land is irrigated. The downside of irrigation systems, which China needs to maintain food security, is that they can have leaks, which results in around half of the water in the systems to be lost when traveling to a field. This makes these systems extremely inefficient, because they are losing valuable water that China cannot afford to lose in the drought that is occurring, (Deng, Shan, Zhang, Turner 24). One example of this extreme shortage would be that “since 1972 the Yellow River in northern China (low reaches of the Yellow River) has dried up in the winter months for several years to the extent that water did not reach the sea and in an extreme drought year failed to reach the sea for 7.5 months (MWR, 2000),” (Deng, Shan, Zhang, Turner 24). This water shortage is having such an effect that it is causing rivers to dry up for months creating a halt in production for farmers since their water source became too scare. The water shortage problem needs to be fixed immediately in China, because without water, food production will lower until China can no longer rely on itself to provide sustenance …show more content…
Water damage has been occurring due to the irrigation systems bringing nutrients, chemical pesticides, and minerals into surface water and ground water (Liu, Pan, Li 210). When these products enter into the system and the water, they end up inside the water that humans drink and use for food. Irrigation is extremely important to China’s agricultural production, because the land that is irrigated “accounts for 75% of the country’s grain production, and irrigation accounts for more than 60% of the country’s total water consumption,” (Lam, Remais, Fung, Xu, Sun 2045). The amount of water and the quality of that water that runs through the irrigation systems directly effect China’s production of food. This can take a major toll on arable land and lead to widespread desertification. This occurred in northwest China and affected the are so much that is was unable to produce the quantity of products that it should have and needed to produce. Water is essential in food production, preparation, and processing so when the water that is being used is contaminated or of lower quality than necessary it can cause foodborne disease and this is exactly what happened in China, (Lam, Remais, Fung, Xu, Sun 2048). China’s water is among the most polluted in the world and since they continue to use this
The north and northwest compose half of the total area of China yet they have less than 20% of the total national available water sources, (Deng, Shan, Zhang, Turner 23). Since the southeast has more water resources, the arable land is irrigated. The downside of irrigation systems, which China needs to maintain food security, is that they can have leaks, which results in around half of the water in the systems to be lost when traveling to a field. This makes these systems extremely inefficient, because they are losing valuable water that China cannot afford to lose in the drought that is occurring, (Deng, Shan, Zhang, Turner 24). One example of this extreme shortage would be that “since 1972 the Yellow River in northern China (low reaches of the Yellow River) has dried up in the winter months for several years to the extent that water did not reach the sea and in an extreme drought year failed to reach the sea for 7.5 months (MWR, 2000),” (Deng, Shan, Zhang, Turner 24). This water shortage is having such an effect that it is causing rivers to dry up for months creating a halt in production for farmers since their water source became too scare. The water shortage problem needs to be fixed immediately in China, because without water, food production will lower until China can no longer rely on itself to provide sustenance …show more content…
Water damage has been occurring due to the irrigation systems bringing nutrients, chemical pesticides, and minerals into surface water and ground water (Liu, Pan, Li 210). When these products enter into the system and the water, they end up inside the water that humans drink and use for food. Irrigation is extremely important to China’s agricultural production, because the land that is irrigated “accounts for 75% of the country’s grain production, and irrigation accounts for more than 60% of the country’s total water consumption,” (Lam, Remais, Fung, Xu, Sun 2045). The amount of water and the quality of that water that runs through the irrigation systems directly effect China’s production of food. This can take a major toll on arable land and lead to widespread desertification. This occurred in northwest China and affected the are so much that is was unable to produce the quantity of products that it should have and needed to produce. Water is essential in food production, preparation, and processing so when the water that is being used is contaminated or of lower quality than necessary it can cause foodborne disease and this is exactly what happened in China, (Lam, Remais, Fung, Xu, Sun 2048). China’s water is among the most polluted in the world and since they continue to use this