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China's Rural Pollution Problem

China's countryside faces food contamination, forced evictions and land degradation. Can farmers cope, and can the government tackle its rural pollution problem?

China's countryside faces food contamination, forced evictions and land degradation. Can farmers cope? And, can the government tackle its rural pollution problem? Rob Young reports from the village of Tangtou, where locals are being relocated to make way for a textile factory that is polluting their river and the air. We hear from the Hangzhou environmental protection agency about the draconian tools at its disposal in its quest to cut back water pollution in the city.

Greenpeace activist Ma Tianjie explains the scale of the task facing Beijing - with 20% of farmland reported contaminated with heavy metals - and how seriously the central government is taking it. And, Rob visits an organic farm in northern Beijing - an increasingly common sight in a country where many distrust the quality of food.

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18 minutes

Last on

Thu 26 Jun 2014 07:32GMT

Broadcast

  • Thu 26 Jun 2014 07:32GMT

Podcast