China's population accounts for about 22 per cent of the world's total population, but the country has only seven per cent of global farmland. In order to ensure a sufficient food supply to feed its population, the Chinese government has explored the use of non-traditional feed resources. This publication looks at China's national programme (APCR) to establish an animal production system based on the use of crop residues such as wheat and rice straw, abundant and widely spread fodder resources, rather than using the grain supply. Over the last decade, this programme has been expanded to cover the rearing of beef and dairy cattle, sheep, goats and buffalo; and has been regarded as the turning point to resolve the nation's feed problem.