Despite having less than 10% of the world's arable land, China is the world's largest agricultural producer, feeding nearly a fifth of the global population. Agriculture is characterized by highly intensive farming and increasing modernization to maximize yields.
Key crops include rice (predominantly in the wet, southern regions), wheat, and corn (in the drier northern plains). China is also the largest producer of potatoes, tomatoes, peanuts, tea, and apples.
In terms of livestock, China is the world's leading producer and consumer of pork, maintaining massive industrial swine farms. The nation is also a global leader in aquaculture and fisheries, producing an enormous volume of both freshwater and marine fish. Recently, there has been a strong government push toward food security, sustainable farming practices, and organic agriculture to combat soil degradation and water scarcity.
