[Vince Ferrer]

China used to be self sufficient in food production. I wonder if this is a long term trend forming.

[James C. Bennett]

China has to feed a fifth of the world's population with only 8% of the world's arable land, and does not grow genetically modified grains. As rising incomes and more meat-heavy diets boost grain demand, China's reliance on imports has slowly increased.

That's where things get spicy in Asia. Nuclear India to the south of China has the world's largest proportion of fertile, arable land, with three (and in many places, four) harvest seasons to boot and the copious monsoon rains to allow barely-mechanised agriculture to produce record harvests, annually. Imagine China attempting a take-over with the intention of using that land in a mechanised manner to feed China. Nukes will be lobbed, and America will be sucked in to side with one or the other to prevent a global domination by either, inevitably.

[BfloGuy]

China used to be self sufficient in food production.

I wonder if it isn't just a sign that they're eating more and better now. Perhaps, it's also a result of industrialization and shrinking farm populations. Interesting, though.