WORLD AGRICULTURE

editorsWorld Agriculture Editorial BoardPatronsProfessor Yang BangjieMember of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China. (China)Lord Cameron of DillingtonChair of the UK All Party Parliamentary Group for Agriculture and Food for Development. (UK)Maxwell D. EpsteinDean Emeritus, International Students and Scholars, University of California, Los Angeles. (USA)Sir Crispin TickellGCMG, KCVO, formerly, British Ambassador to the United Nations and the UK’s Permanent Representative on the UN Security Council (UK)

Managing Editor and Deputy ChairmanDr David FrapeBSc, PhD, PG Dip Agric, CBiol, FRSB, FRCPath, RNutrMammalian physiologist

Regional Editors in ChiefRobert CookBSc, CBiol, FSB. (UK)Plant pathologist and agronomistProfessor Zhu MingBS, PhD (China)President of CSAE & President of CAAE Scientist & MOA Consultant for Processing of Agricultural Products & Agricultural Engineering, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Engineering

Deputy EditorsDr Ben AldissBSc, PhD, CBiol, MSB, FRES. (UK)Ecologist, entomologist and educationalistDr Sara BoettigerB.A. ,M.A.,Ph.D (USA)Agricultural economistProfessor Neil C. TurnerFTSE, FAIAST, FNAAS (India), BSc, PhD, DSc, (Australia)Crop physiologistProfessor Xiuju WeiBS, MS, PhD (China)Executive Associate Editor in Chief of TCSAE, Soil, irrigation & land rehabilitation engineer

Members of the Editorial BoardProfessor Gehan AmaratungaBSc, PhD, FREng, FRSA, FIET, CEng. (UK & Sri Lanka)Electronic engineer & nanotechnologistProfessor Pramod Kumar AggarwalB.Sc, M.Sc, Ph.D. (India), Ph.D. (Netherlands), FNAAS (India), FNASc (India)Crop ecologistDr Andrew G. D. BeanBSc, PhD, PG Dip. Immunol. (Australia)Veterinary pathologist and immunologistProfessor Tim BentonBA, PhD, FRSB, FLSFood systems, food security, agricul-ture-environment interactionsProfessor Phil BrookesBSc, PhD, DSc. (UK)Soil microbial ecologistProfessor Andrew ChallinorBSc, PhD. (UK)Agricultural meteorologistDr Pete FalloonBSc, MSc, PhD (UK)Climate impacts scientistProfessor Peter GregoryBSc, PhD, CBiol, FSB, FRASE. (UK)

Soil scientistProfessor J. Perry GustafsonBSc, MS, PhD (USA)Plant geneticistHerb Hammond(Canada)Ecologist, forester and educatorProfessor Sir Brian HeapCBE, BSc, MA, PhD, ScD, FSB, FRSC, FRAgS, FRS (UK)Animal physiologistProfessor Fengmin LiBSc, MSc, PhD, (China)AgroecologistProfessor Glen M. MacDonaldBA, MSc, PhD (USA)GeographerProfessor Sir John MarshCBE, MA, PG Dip Ag Econ, CBiol, FSB, FRASE, FRAgS (UK)Agricultural economistProfessor Ian McConnellBVMS, MRVS, MA, PhD, FRCPath, FRSE. (UK)Animal immunologistHamad Abdulla Mohammed Al MehyasB.Sc., M.Sc. (UAE)Forensic GeneticistProfessor Denis J MurphyBA, DPhil. (UK)Crop biotechnologistDr Christie PeacockCBE, BSc, PhD, FRSA, FRAgS, Hon. DSc, FSB (UK & Kenya)Tropical AgriculturalistProfessor R.H. RichardsC.B.E., M.A., Vet. M.B., Ph.D., C.Biol., F.S.B., F.R.S.M., M.R.C.V.S., F.R.Ag.S. (UK)AquaculturalistProfessor Jacqueline RowarthPhD, CNZM, CRSNZ, FNZIAHS (New Zealand)Agricultural EconomistProfessor John SnapeBSc PhD (UK)Crop geneticistProfessor Om Parkash TokyMSc, PhD, FNAAS, (India)Forest Ecologist, Agroforester and SilviculturistProfessor Mei XurongBS, PhD Director of Scientific Department, CAAS (China)Meteorological scientistProfessor Changrong YanBS, PhD (China)Ecological scientist

Advisor to the boardDr John BinghamCBE, FRS, FRASE, ScD (UK)Crop geneticist

Editorial AssistantsDr. Zhao AiqinPhD (China)Soil scientistMs Sofie AldissBSc (UK)Rob ColemanBSc MSc (UK)Michael J.C. CrouchBSc, MSc (Res) (UK)Kath HalsallBSc (UK)Dr Wang LiuBS, PhD (China)HoriculuturalistDr Philip TaylorBSc, MSc, PhD (UK)

Published by Script Media, 47 Church Street, Barnsley,

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36 WORLD AGRICULTURE

Third issue contentsIn this issue ...

Published by Script Media, 47 Church Street, Barnsley,

South Yorkshire S70 2AS, UK

editorials:

Number 8n “Capital” farmland is part 37 of a solution to the Chinese food security problems. A discussion of the conclusions drawn by Dr. Tang Huaizhi, Dr. Xue Jian, Prof. Yun Wenju – this issueDr David Frape

Number 9n Government playing a 38-39 bigger role in protecting farmland as supporting human society development Professor Wei Xiuju

Number 10n Current Chinese 40 Agricultural Reform – see Status, problem and strategy of capital farmland development in China, Dr. Tang Huaizhi et al. this issue Professor Sir John Marsh

economic & social:

Number 11n Status, problem and 41-45 strategy of capital farmland development in China Dr. Tang Huaizhi, Dr. Xue Jian and Professor Yun Wenju

If you wish to submit an article for consideration by the Editorial Board for inclusion in a section of World Agriculture: a) Scientificb) Economic & Socialc) Opinion & Comment ord) a Letter to the Editorplease follow the Instructions to Contributors on the website and submit by email to the Editor editor@world-agriculture.net

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editorials

“Capital” farmland is part of a solution to the Chinese food security problems

TThe Chinese Government fully recognizes the potential national problems associated with their

current agricultural production and accepts the conclusions of their leading scientists as to the appropriate action to take.

Over the next 20 years, urbanization of China’s population will continue, presenting similar problems to those of western societies.

A current Chinese population growth rate of 1% per year signifies annually 18 million new urban residents with an ever greater demand for food.

China finds it already necessary to import foodstuffs. To ensure food grain security it will be essential to upgrade farmland structure, quality and quantity.

Nevertheless, China realizes that biodiversity is essential for the maintenance of a healthy land and a healthy population – a land that is able to produce food for the foreseeable future, without erosion, or a loss of fertility.

It is recognized that not all lands are available for cultivation, and they should

not be constantly used for that purpose. Of China’s existing 133.3Mha of

cultivated land, only 120Mha are suitable for use at any one time, based on the study reports.

This is the conclusion drawn from the nation’s overall plan for cultivated land rehabilitation and maintenance and for ecological consolidation and restoration.

Moreover, the advancement of China’s ecological civilization, implies that part of the cultivated land that is unsuitable for farming will be put to other uses.

On the other hand, high quality cultivated land is concentrated in major areas of urban population and economic development.

This puts high quality land at risk of urban and industrial usurpation.

The effect these activities exert on the quality and quantity of cultivated land and on its spatial layout should be realized, as China will inevitably continue to industrialize cultivated land, especially those of high quality in the hinterland of cities.

Twenty years of continuous urban development has decreased the total

area of cultivated land so that in the eastern coastal and middle areas, there is near exhaustion of previously unused, but potentially cultivatable land.

As requirements for ecological and environment protection rise, development of any unused land in the eastern and middle area is inclined to trigger concern over soil deterioration and ecological problems.

The current reserves of cropland are mainly in the arid and semi-arid, north and north-west areas, where crop and soil management is more difficult and output is lower.

China’s Government understands and foresees the problems, of increasing the output of foodstuffs from a decreasing farmed area to meet the needs of a growing population.

Those problems are recognized and reviewed, in addition to those caused by climate change.

Agricultural research is being stepped up, together with the evolution of capital farmland designed in a way intended to incentivize rural people!

Dr David Frape

A discussion of the conclusions drawn by Dr. Tang Huaizhi, Dr. Xue Jian, Prof. Yun Wenju – this Issue

World Agriculture welcomes your comments, criticisms

and discussionsOur journal is to open a new

section entitled “Readers’ Comments, Criticisms, Opinions

and Letters”. The objectives of this section of the

Journal is for unedited views to be expressed and discussed amongst our readers. Your comment emailed to the Editor (editor@world-agriculture.net) could be published within a week

or two, so that our readers are able to participate in any current international debate concerning agricultural production in the environment, or to comment on any article we have published.

Owing to space limitation it may be necessary to abridge some longer comments; but so long as the statement does not break any law it could be

selected for publication- similarly to Letters to the Editor of a newspaper.

As is the practice with other Publications please send your comment together with your full name, postal address and telephone number to the Editor (editor@world-agriculture.net). If it is your wish your name and the country of your address, only will be published.

Editor, April, 2016.

38 WORLD AGRICULTURE

editorialsGovernment playing a bigger role in

protecting farmland as supporting human society development

1. The area/quantity and productivity/quality of farmland being the foundation for humanity survivalLand is the foundation of human survival, agriculture is the basic industry of human society, and farmland closely related to agriculture is one of the most important resources of social and economic development.

Food production capacity is an important aspect of food security, and it is affected by many factors.

In addition to uncontrollable factors such as weather, it is mainly affected by the area/quantity and productivity/quality of farmland and decided by technology, capital investment and management, etc.

Among them, the area and productivity of farmland are the most important factors for securing safety of grain production.

The importance of arable land in social development has attracted the attentions of government all over the world.

The following discussion will take China as an example.

2. The main problems of Chinese farmlandPopulation in China accounts for 18.84% of the world population.

Early in 1992, Brown, an American economist, raised the question, “Who will feed the Chinese?”. It illustrates food safety is not only important to China but also important to the world.

A certain area and productivity of cultivated land is essential condition to ensure food security of the large Chinese population, where protection of farmland must be particularly important.

China is currently undergoing a period of rapid economic development.

During this period, ecological destruction and loss of arable land are particularly serious.

Tang et al.’s paper “Status, problems and strategy of capital farmland development in China” (World Agriculture, this issue) presents survey data which illustrates that Chinese grain production is based on a very shaky footing.

Four key problems exist: 1) The area of arable land and reserved cultivated land resources are insufficient; 2) Farmland productivity is generally low and agricultural infrastructure is inadequate; 3) The degradation of the farmland ecosystem is accelerating. It faces the three issues of over exploitation, inappropriate utilization, and under-utilization, separately; 4) Urban construction is really emphasized;5) Management is overlooked in farmland construction projects.

The problems mentioned above are difficult to solve in a short term.

For many years, the ratio of high quality farmland to the national total has decreased continuously along with China’s economic development.

This has been a persistent concern for agricultural development. Tang et al.’s paper focuses on this problem.

Tang et al proposes that fertile farmland is the essential basis for high crop production.

Which will support the effective roles of top quality seeds and optimal agricultural techniques.

According to this axiom, it has become an essential task for the current stage of agricultural development to protect, build, and make good use of basic farmland.

In this it must solve problems such as the scattered spatial distribution of farms, insufficient facilities and a deficiency in ecological protection.

3. Some reasons for the problems of farmland in ChinaExcept for the shortage of Chinese land resources and a limited increase in the

arable land, the following two factors limit the availability of arable land:

1) Farmland converted to non-agriculture uses for conservation

The conservation projects in which cropland is converted to forest or others for ecological protection.

This requires the withdrawing from farmland to wasteland, slopes, wetland, and beaches, which can avoid soil erosion, desertification and other ecological problems.

Based on the Government policy, some croplands must return back into forest, grassland, wetland and beaches for environment protection.

2) Farmland reduction as urban development

Some urban and national infrastructure construction occupies arable land, resulting in a reduction of the farmland area.

3) High quality farmland occupied but poor land given back as compensation

To ensure quantity (without reduction) of the total farmland area, the Chinese Government has introduced a policy of arable land requisition-compensation balance, which requires occupiers of arable land to reclaim a corresponding amount arable land in compensation.

That means “the area balance between the occupied farmland and the compensation from wasteland by reclaim”.

However, high quality/productivity farmland near to cities tends to be used for industry. In compensation, poor quality/low productivity land is often reclassified as capital farmland.

Thus, the area of capital farmland is emphasized but the quality.

This leads to low productivity of the compensation farmland is with little value. The occupation of farmland for urban and national infrastructure construction, directly result in a reduction of cultivated grain acreage and a decline in cultivated land quality.

Wei Xiuju , PhD, Professor from Chinese Academy of Agricultural Engineering, Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering, Beijing 100125, China.

Email: weixj@tcsae.org

WORLD AGRICULTURE 39

editorials

4. Construction, management and utilization of high quality farmland requires a systematic engineeringFrom the start of the 21th century, the Chinese Government has determined to promote the large-scale construction of high standard capital farmland.

By 2020, 8-10 million mu(1mu=0.067ha) of this farmland will be established.

In order to convert traditional agriculture to modern one, comprehensive information and engineering technologies must be used to monitor and manage farmland construction.

Future studies should focus on the establishment of different farmland capital requirements under various natural environments and stages of economic and social development.

The studies should analyze the factors affecting this process and determine solutions to provide valuable information for Government decisions.

5. Government plays a significant role in protecting and constructing capital farmland1) Land public ownership and Government managementOne of the characteristics of Chinese land is public ownership, and thus the

Government has an advantage in its unified management, planning, protection and utilization.

In practice, the Chinese Government has played an important role in farmland protection and construction in which it has issued series policies and invested a vast amount of money.

For example, the policies, on rural land rights and on the transfer of management rights of contracted rural lands, are major decisions of the Central Government.

Based on this policy, data sharing platforms on agricultural land resources will be established. Agricultural data will be integrated and the data centre will become one of big agricultural data source.2) The 1.8 billion mu red line of capital farmland for protection

The implementation of rural land rights is the basis and guarantee of improving a rural and county land management system, and strengthening land transfer and scale operation.

It makes data of arable land area and quality transparent and effectively protects arable land in rural areas.

It also reduces managerial short-term orientation of farmers, and promotes the rational use and management of soils to improve soil quality.

In one word, the arable land data sharing means transparency which will effectively avoid loss by local people occupied.

Another example is that the government policy on “1.8 billion mu (1mu=0.067ha) red line of capital farmland”.

China currently has a population of about 1.4 billion. If the low limit of farmland area is 1.8 billion mu, the per capita farmland is at least1.29 mu/capita ( 1.8 billion mu/1.4 billion capita= 1.29 mu/capita) China’s average grain yield is about 320 kg/mu, and then the average grain per capita in 1.29 mu arable land is approximately 400 kg/capita.

Studies have shown that per capita grain supply of 370 kg is critical to meet the current food consumption needs.

Therefore, 1.8 million mu red line of arable land could ensure the minimum amount of farmland for food security based on 1.4 billion people in China.3) Some other policies issued by Government and their effects

In the past 20 years, the Chinese Government has formulated laws, policies and regulations such as “Land Management Law,” “Regulations on the Administration of Capital Farmland”, “Agricultural Land Quality Grading Regulations” (GB/T28407-2012), and “National High Standard Farmland Construction General Plan”.

These are of significance for a rational use of land, the construction of capital farmland and a strong protection of arable land. In recent years, national funds have been spent on land consolidation projects, related projects are strictly implemented.

Their effects are obvious. These practices all demonstrate that the Government is playing a considerable role in protecting cultivated land and constructing capital farmland of high standards.

40 WORLD AGRICULTURE

editorialsCurrent Chinese agricultural reform

This evidence is of immense importance – there is a growing gap between what can be

produced and what is demanded, there is too a history of damaging uses of technology that have led to desertification of major formerly productive areas, to add to this there are major calls for good land to be used for urban development and the overarching impact of Climate Change.

Proposed solutions seem sensible, more investment in improvement and more careful use of powerful technologies.

If,by making China more self sufficient, it relieves pressure on the global food system it will be of general benefit.

What is less clear, to me at least, is whether this strategy will work.

There are too many grounds for

wondering if the strategy can deliver. Some of these are to do with the

capacity to sustainably produce the level of output needed.

To do so implies increases in productivity at a rate that exceeds demand.

More immediately dramatic are the social goals that simultaneously demand attention from policy makers.

These include protecting the environment, higher rural incomes, better provision for urban needs, not only housing and roads but also for leisure and recreation.

As China responds more to consumer demand, such pressures will affect not only agricultural land but water and labour supplies as well.

This crucial pressure on the Chinese

resource base is transmitted through the markets to global producing areas.

Plans for the future need to recognise that, in differing forms and to differing degrees, the same tension between a sustainable food supply and the appetite of humanity for consumption is at work. In the UK we managed this initially by imports and more recently by direct attempts to factor environmental issues into the production decisions.

We may have made some progress but this is difficult to measure, or to gain support from consumers, taxpayers or producers.

Although non-Chinese readers may fail to recognise the full implications of this message the theme must be central territory for World Agriculture.

Professor Sir John Marsh

see Status, problem and strategy of capital farmland development in China, Dr.Tang Huaizhi et al. this issue

WORLD AGRICULTURE 41

economic & social

Status, problem and strategy of capital

farmland development in China

Dr.Tang Huaizhi1, Dr.Xue Jian1, Prof. Yun Wenju11Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Center, Ministry of Land and Resources,

Beijing 100035, China. Email:tanghuaizhi@lcrc.org.cn)AbstractFrom the beginning of this century, China has been promoting large-scale construction of capital farmland. Within the time period of 4 to 6 Five-year Plans, about 120 Mha of farmland that is suitable for cultivation will be converted into farmland with high-quality facilities. At present, China’s cultivated land utilization is faced with the following major problems: 1) the shortage of cultivated land and reserves; 2) farmland of low quality that has under-, or inadequately-utilized cultivated land; 3) overuse of cultivated land with consequential degradation of the farmland ecosystem; and 4) the phenomenon of “emphasis on construction and ignorance of management” in the Chinese farmland construction with its imperfect regulatory system and inadequate incentive mechanism. China wishes to ensure food security, quality and safety of agricultural products, and to implement an ecologically civilized construction strategy with a further round of capital farmland construction. This will be introduced by following a “green thought” concept, with the goal of improving the rate of cultivated land production in core areas. The procedure includes differentiated land consolidation, and the adoption of an integrated construction method. Meanwhile, more emphasis will be given to management, protection and utilization of capital farmland, including the development of a dry farming, high-efficiency agriculture production system.

Key words: high-quality farming, construction objective, farmland problems, ecosystem development, sustainable utilization

Glossary: Capital farmland: a term for land control in China. According to Article 2 of the Regulations on the Protection of Capital Farmland, contained in State Council Order No. 601 of the People’s Republic of China issued on December 27, 1998, capital farmland refers to farmland for which it is not allowed to be occupied for other purposes without permission. This is determined in accordance with the overall plan for land utilization in order to meet the national demand for agricultural products to sustain the requirement of the population and social economic development in a certain period.”

One hundred and sixteen capital farmland demonstration areas, 10 demonstration provinces, and 500 farmland with high-quality facilities demonstration counties: different regional classification methods for different purposes in China. In 2006 before formally defining farmland with high-quality facilities, 116 capital farmland demonstration areas covering 31 provinces (cities, autonomous regions) of main crop growing regions are selected to explore the ways of constructing farmland. After the farmland with high-quality facilities is formally defined, 10 provinces that include the main crop planting regions are selected as demonstration in 2011-2015, and another 500 counties are designated to promote the farmland with high-quality facilities construction in 2012.

National survey of soil pollution: From April 2005 to December 2013, China launched the first survey of soil pollution. The survey results are released by Ministry of Land and Resources and the Ministry of Environmental Protection in 2014. The survey covers all the arable land, some of the forest land, grassland, unused land and construction land. According to the degree of pollution, the survey areas were divided into five types: non-pollution, slight, mild, moderate and severe pollution.

Introduction

Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the construction of irrigation and water conservation

projects reached a peak in the 1960s and 1970s with farmland irrigation area of about 45 Mha (1) nationwide. This provides the base from which farmland can achieve its potential. In the 1980s and 1990s, as a result of limited and fragmented investment in the long term,

this in turn gives rise to widespread agricultural infrastructure disrepair and functional degradation.

Given the tremendous food demands, the State Council formulated the capital farmland protection system at the national level in 1994. This system has ensured strict protection on more than 104 Mha of farmland, accounting for over 80% the total area of farmland to meet minimum need for food. In the late 1990s, land consolidation was practiced in order

to improve the quality of capital farmland. It is a more positive way for the effective supply of farm produce, whilst ensuring sustainable use of resources. Almost 13.33 Mha (4) capital farmland has been constructed until 2010.

In 2012, China implemented a further detailed standard for capital farmland construction with 15 main criteria (2). The capital farmland that has reached this standard will be classified as farmland with high-quality facilities.

Development of this farmland may overcome a series of problems, including fragmentation, shortage of facilities for water conservation, low quality of cultivated land, environmental deterioration and risk of disaster.

The objectives are to improve grain productivity, whilst facilitating the use of machinery to increase production efficiency to accelerate agriculture modernization.

1. Capital farmland construction in ChinaFrom 2011 to 2015, China built 26.67 Mha (3) of farmland with high-quality facilities, and consolidation of capital farmland increased output by over 100 kg per 0.067 ha (3).

A farmland investment mechanism has been established and 14 major land consolidation projects (4) have been implemented. The state has carried out the construction of 10 demonstration provinces, 116 capital farmland demonstration areas and 500 farmlands with high-quality facilities in demonstration counties (5).

The Outline of Thirteenth Five-year Plan on National Economic and Social Development of the People’s Republic of China, issued in 2016, states that as of 2020, at least 53.33 Mha (6) of farmland should be constructed.

The chief tasks are as follows:1.1 Making use of two markets and two resourcesCurrent cultivated land protection faces severe challenges in China.

For instance, the price of domestic agricultural products is higher than the equivalent international price; production of grains is still partly at the mercy of weather; the area of cultivated land is in continuous decline; spatial mismatch of water and soil reserves and extreme international climate change continue.

As the international agriculture products market exerts an increasing effect on the domestic market, there is need to make overall use of both markets, as two resources.

China should stay with the principle of positive, pragmatic and mutual-benefit, further strengthen international cooperation and establish a stable, diversified and safe resource supply system.

1.2 Coordinate cultivated land protection and restoration For a long time, farmland quantity has been repeatedly emphasized in China’s land management, but quality

and ecology were neglected.This resulted in disproportionate

amounts of some agricultural produce and inappropriate uses of natural resources. The construction of farmland with high-quality facilities will help to enhance soil nutrient balance and water storage and decrease resource consumption. It also popularizes the scientific application of fertilizer and water saving technologies.

Meanwhile, cultivated land is repaired and maintained, returning parts of it step by step to forestry, grassland and wetland with the premise of maintaining the stability of cultivated land. In regions where the necessary conditions are satisfied, crop rotation and fallow could be carried out to ensure sustainable use of farmland.

1.3 Delimit permanent capital farmland and realize core protection Much high quality farmland around large and medium-sized cities is not included in capital farmland in China.

In view of this, a permanent area of core capital farmland should be protected to emphasis farmland quantity and quality. To improve the existing and planned capital farmland delimitation high quality farmland in peri-urban areas, along road and rail land should also be included in the capital farmland.

Meanwhile, there is a need to combine permanent capital farmland delimiting with a red line demarcating urban development and ecological protection. Both will lead to a changed urbanization development pathway ranging from tandem and cluster types to satellite towns.

The layout and development of urban areas will then be controlled, protecting cultivated land for its intensive use.

1.4 Optimize farmland spatial structure Key issues were the severe fragmentation and mismatch between land use structure and farmland utilization. Major grain producing areas should

integrate building of capital farmland with moderately concentrated rural housing for farmers. This would require the comprehensive consolidation of contiguous parcels of land, with water, road, forest and village. Suburb areas should enhance

protection of high quality cultivated land, especially that of natural vegetation to promote biodiversity, urban capital horticulture and home-

grown vegetables. Ecologically fragile areas should give precedence to the ecological function of cultivated land to enable water and soil conservation using appropriate vegetation.

Finally, cropland adjacent to major infrastructures such as roads and conserved water should be connected with adjacent permanent capital farmland. This should increase land use efficiency with a better ecological landscape.

2. Main problems in cultivated land use in ChinaGenerally, farmland use problems in China are the result of a combination of three factors: 1) need for food now and in the future; 2) living conditions and quality of life of rural residents and 3) loss of soils, their structure, and of biodiversity.

2.1 Shortage of cultivated land and reserves Over the next 5-10 years, urbanization rate of China’s population will continue.

A growth rate of 1% per year signifies annually 18 million (7) new urban residents with an even greater demand for food. In China’s existing 133.3 Mha of farmland, only 120 Mha are suitable for continuous use (8), close to the minimum required of capital farmland.

According to China’s farmland quality grade investigation and assessment, cultivated land nationwide is categorized by 4 levels, which are respectively superior (grade 1-4), high (grade 5-8), middle (grade 9-12) and low (grade 13-15). The superior level and high level farmland respectively cover 3.852 and 35.862 Mha (10), making 29.4% of the total (Fig.1).

By 2020, the capital farm land with facilities is expected to reach 53.33 Mha, butd the country would still have nearly half of the capital farmland without facilities.

To ensure food grain security it will be essential to upgrade farmland structure, quality and quantity.

2.2 Coexistence of low quality and under–or improperly-utilized cultivated land Coexistence of low quality and under- or improperly-utilized cultivated land is another problem of China’s current cultivated land use (9). Nearly 40% of backbone projects are in large-scale irrigations and more than 50% medium and small scale irrigation systems.

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economic & social

Small farmland water conservancy and irrigation engineering facilities are unsuitable, or aging, and their associated irrigation pump stations work at low efficiency and need repair (11).

Moreover, there is a lack of field roads, causing difficulty for access to fields by machinery. At present one third field tracks are in need of repair or reconstruction. In the southern paddy field area and in some northern areas, the proportion rises to a half.

China also suffers a serious farmland fragmentation problem. As a result, 12.47 Mha are taken up by raised paths through fields (11), double that in medium-concentrated countries. Investigations show that fragmentation reduces production efficiency by 15% (12).

Generally speaking, China’s farmland construction standard is comparatively low. High irrigation costs, low efficiency of use and under-utilization of farmland are common.

2.3 Increased degradation of farmland ecosystems and destruction of ecological balance Furthermore, there is a clear mismatch of water and soil resource.

Over-exploitation and utilization of water resources and overuse of cultivated land lead to a series of serious ecological problems, such as water and soil loss, desertification, and decreased wetlands.

These problems appear in the western area of hills and mountains and in other ecologically fragile areas to adversely affect their natural ecological systems.

For a long time, grain production has been overemphasized. Since 2003, China’s grain production has achieved “Continuous increases over 12 years”, which is inseparable from the policy of strengthening the protection of cultivated land.

Meanwhile, it has also caused an increase in the proportion of unstable arable land (it refers to land that has been developed that was originally unsuitable for farming).Of the current 135.3 Mha cultivated land, more than 19 Mha (14) has a slope above 15°, accounting for nearly 15%; Over 5.66 Mha (14) from it is forest, grassland, rivers and lakes located within the area of the highest flood control.

As indicated above, 19.4% of the cultivated land is polluted, or 35% of

the total of arable land (Fig.2).Obviously, continuous food

production has not made the land more suitable for cultivation. On the contrary, cultivated land has become overused, accompanied by environmental destruction, soil pollution and the other potential risks.

Moreover, the urban-rural gap is not improved significantly. The urban-rural gap in 2013 is decreased only slightly compared with 2003, but is still larger than that in 1998. In late 2013, the national urban-rural income ratio of 3.03:1 is much higher than that of 2.51:1 in 1998 (Fig.2).

2.4 Imperfections of existing regulatory system and inadequacy of incentive mechanisms. During capital farmland construction, people usually emphasize construction and ignore management due to the unclear property rights of farmland.

Farmland quality monitoring and management are weak and post-construction maintenance, management and assessments are not in place. Following the completion of some projects equipment and facilities are damaged, or are kept inefficiently. Some projects may not be classified as capital farmland to give it permanent protection.

Moreover, the farmland construction projects are authorized and planned by different departments, and are organized and implemented separately.

The lack of uniform guidelines or of construction standards makes coordination difficult. Insufficient long-term input and dispersal of funds lead to lower construction standards.

Fig.1 Assessment and distribution of cultivated land quality in China

Fig.2 Key factors of the National Farmland Construction

3. Strategy for capital farmland construction in China In the long term, the strategy for improving capital farmland construction is to integrate increasing food production, protecting biological diversity, improving the quality of residential living as development goals.

Currently there is an urgent need to develop means for the sensible implementation of the goals of capital farmland construction.

3.1 Protecting natural biology as a priorityConstruction should prioritize the environment in a comprehensive plan of production, landscape, and improving the rural ecology.

Farmland construction sites must not be in regions with a slope over 25 degrees, or include rivers, lakes, nature reserves, reservoirs and their protected areas, or areas returning the grainland to forestry or grassland.

Areas that are arid, or have severe desertification, or have heavily polluted soil, are vulnerable to natural disasters and to water and soil erosion. The responsible departments must demonstrate and get approval before constructing farmland with high-quality facilities.

During the process of project design and construction, it is important to integrate the practical situation of the project area.

3.2 Promoting farmland with high-quality facilities constructionFrom a macroscopic aspect, when this farmland construction mission, is funded and planned those in charge should consider the condition of the regional natural resources, the level of economic and social development and grain production.

Priority should be given to capital farmland protection, to main grain production and to land consolidation areas. Priority should also be given to major engineering and construction areas and demonstration counties set by the land consolidation plan.Counties set by the National Plan on Increasing 50 Billion Kilogram of Grain Production Capability(2009-2020) should also receive prior funding.

From a local aspect, each project area should follow the intensive, economic use of land, by the principle of maximizing comprehensive efficiency.

This entails the quantity of land used for agriculture, and the ratio between,

and the spatial layout of land used for cultivation and that used for other purposes, e.g. water conservation, transportation so that the efficiency of farmland output rate is increased.

3.3 Adjusting measures to local conditionsAccording to the overall consideration of regional climate, landform, water sources, geology and land use, national land is divided into eight types, the northeast plain, the northern China plain, northern hilly area, loess plateau region, inland arid and semiarid areas, southern plain river-net area and southwestern plateau mountains and hills.

The plan should apply different types of engineering construction measures for each area.

3.4 Developing integrated construction modelAccording to the distribution of farmland and natural resources, people should associate themselves to relevant plans after the selection of key construction areas.

Following the “relative concentration, conduct as a single field” principle, responsibly construct every piece of the “field”, avoiding dispersed construction from affecting operation and production.

Land transfer, ownership adjustment, land leveling and other comprehensive measures should be undertaken during construction. By taking these measures, small parcels of farmland can be integrated into larger ones, decreasing fragmentation, and accelerating the scale of production.

3.5 Strengthening management of farmland with high-quality facilitiesOn the “high standard construction, management, protection and utilization” requirement, relevant authorities should explore and institutionalize the post-build

management and protection subsidy funds system and their work pattern.

The consolidated farmland should be described as capital farmland under permanent protection to ensure its future functioning.

Efforts should be made to set up a dynamic monitoring system (Fig. 3), and improve data collection and archiving.

Management should also unify and intensify supervision and tracking, especially for new systems. Moreover, protection measures should be continuously invoked for soil fertility enrichment to improve cultivated land quality and level of land use.

3.6 Improving dry farming high-efficiency agriculture production systemAbout 70% of China’s agricultural area is of medium and low-yield (10).

Most of this area is influenced by water resources, terrain condition or other factors. Output is low, but productivity has the potential to increase.

High yield areas accounts for 30%, they have better conditions and there is a limitation to an increase in their space. The major restrictive factors of these dry capital lands should be reduced to build efficient dry farming.

Through effective land leveling, soil reclamation, irrigation and drainage, field road construction, farmland protection, ecological maintenance, farmland power transmission and distribution, and other engineering projects, farmland quality can be enhanced, and overall production can be maximized.

4. ConclusionsThis paper has discussed and demonstrated some of the improvements which can easily be made to the quality of farmland and thus to national food security of China.

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Fig. 3 Construction and management of farmland with high-quality facilities in China

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At present, increasing farmland fertility and boosting the rate of agricultural transformation are the overall, strategic objectives to ensure national food security and accelerate economic development.

On the premise of not abusing resources, or of disturbing the ecological environment, farmland engineering construction is the critical tool to realize an agricultural harvest. It is also a more effective and efficient method for the protection of cultivatable, fertile farmland and to leave a green countryside for one’s descendants.

References

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of Science, 2015, 30 (3):261-264.8. China Ministry of Land and. China’s farmland quality grade investigation and assessment [R]. 2014.9. Wanqi Yun, Daolin Zhu, Huaizhi Tang. China land consolidation strategy reshaping and innovation [J]. Transactions of The Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering, 2016 (04):1-8.10. China National Development and Reform. National Well-facilitated Farmland Construction Overall Plan (2013-2020) [R]. 2013.11. Jian Xue, Wenju Yun, Guoming Du, et al. Difference analysis of land use patterns in modern and traditional agricultural region based on remote sensing [J]. Transactions of The Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering, 2012 (24):245-251.12. Resources Ministry of Land and, Protection Ministry of Environmental. National survey of soil pollution [R]. 2014.13. China Ministry of Land and. Bulletin of the second national land survey on the main results of the data [R]. 2013.

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