Grain protectionism

Overview

As urbanization, erosion and pollution reduce the amount of available arable land, and as demand on grain for both animal feedstuffs and biofuels grows, China faces a major question as to whether to continue its policy of 95 per cent grain self-sufficiency. Rising food inflation adds another element, while the grain reserve was seriously depleted around the turn of the century.

Through its foreign-trade implications, the pursuit of grain self-sufficiency has clear international...