A Chinese government official announced that 3.3 million hectares of farmland (8 million acres) or the area equivalent to the size of Belgium is too polluted to farm after 30 years of rapid industrial growth. The area in question is quarantined by the government with no crops being allowed to be grown in order to prevent heavy metals from reaching the food supply. China is committed to rehabilitation programs aimed at contaminated land and water supplies in order to maintain what is referred to as the ‘red line’ – a government policy ensuring that at least 120 million hectares (295 million acres) are dedicated to agriculture. Researchers state that as much as 70% of China’s soil could have contamination problems with surveys revealing traces of toxic metals and pesticides banned in the 1980’s. China’s increasing urbanization has mines, chemical plants, and industrial facilities encroaching upon agricultural land causing issues as evidenced within recent years by the issue of cadmium-contaminated rice.
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