China ranks first in the world in terms of the production of cereals, cotton, fruit and vegetables. China is a country with very limited arable land for its size, but needs to feed the largest population on earth. Therefore, the Chinese government attaches great importance to agriculture. Although considerable amounts of agricultural land get lost to new infrastructure, industries, and urban settlements every year, the total output of agricultural products still sees slight increases. Notwithstanding, food imports grew dramatically over the last decade and today China is the largest importer of agricultural products in the world.