China’s agricultural output is as large as Australia’s entire economy and almost 30% of it comes from the water-scarce and polluted North China Plain. As a result, the government is tightening regulations on water usage, as well as water and soil pollution. Incoming pollution control regulations could slow the ‘more fertiliser, more yield’ model, as the food supply-demand dynamics change. Food safety and security are priorities but to ensure them China may have to import more food – which would affect global trade.