China to import grain as economy grows

China could be forced to become a major grain importer to feed its increasingly wealthy population at a time of record global food prices, a leading environmentalist said Wednesday.

As one of the world’s top grain producers, China imports little wheat or corn, but may soon have to buy from abroad as citizens change their eating habits, said Lester Brown, president of the Earth Policy Institute.

Brown, an influential environmental scholar, said four billion people worldwide are seeking to switch from grain-based diets to meat-based diets, which demand more farm resources.

“If China imports only 10 percent of its grain needs, it will become the world’s largest importer of grain.”

China’s 1.76 trillion dollars in foreign reserves will bolster its capacity to import more grain, he added.

Terra Daily