Up to 2.5% of China's soil too contaminated to farm

Data released by the Ministry of Land and Resources this week in Beijing indicated as much as 2.5% of China’s soil could be too contaminated by heavy metals and other pollutants to farm, The Wall Street Journal reported. Meanwhile, the share of China’s land that is arable fell by a fifth of a percent during the three years ended in 2009, a reminder of the fine balance the government faces in protecting farmland as it sustains policies like urbanizing its population. In its report, the ministry described the trends as worrisome and said the nation’s land situation remains “grim.”