Chinese food production shortages by 2020, report warns

The project, which was funded by the British Government in partnership with China's Ministry of Science and Technology, has just published its findings and predicts that as a result of climate change, China is likely to see a reduction in yields of key crops – wheat, maize, and rice – from the 2020s and shortages in staple foods as the population increases.

Minister Joan Ruddock of the UK's Department of Energy and Climate Change said: “This study shows the potentially serious impacts climate change will have on food production. It underlines just how urgent it is for all countries to join the fight to tackle dangerous climate change by reducing emissions and securing a global deal in Copenhagen in 2009. It also emphasises just how vital it is for all countries to develop regionally specific strategies that will help communities and countries adapt to the inevitable impacts of climate change."

The project examined how in one area of China, Ningxia Hui, farmers were already facing climate change pressures, such as water shortages.

The study found Ningxia would face further droughts and other extreme weather events, increasing temperatures leading to drier soils, and shifts in the flow regime of the Yellow River, the main water source, for the region.

It found that farmers in the region were already adapting to adverse conditions, through methods such as reducing water loss by covering the soil with stones, and planting new crop varieties.

It concluded that improvements in farming techniques may help boost yields, but questioned whether this could significantly reduce the effects of climate change on food production.

The research, which was conducted with the help of scientific experts from the University of East Anglia, is expected to lead to further joint research on climate change between the UK and China.