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China has 20 percent of the world's population but just 7 percent of its arable land. Chinese farmers have, for decades, relied upon artificial fertilizer to boost their crops. These artificial fertilizers, while increasing overall crop yields, can also upset the chemical balance in the soil and cause it to become more acidic. Recently, researchers compared samples of Chinese soil from the 1980's and the 2000's and found that agricultural lands across the country have become considerably more acidic. This chemical imbalance may reduce the farming potential of this land in the future.