UN designates four Chinese farmlands as agricultural heritage sites
Mulberry groves and rice terraces among those recognized.
The United Nations has designated four Chinese farmlands as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) on April 19 for creating mutually sustainable livelihoods and ecosystems.
Rice terraces in south China, mulberry farms in Shandong, fish ponds in Zhejiang, and animal farms in Gansu were feted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for reflecting “a profound harmony between humanity and nature,” FAO deputy director-general Maria Helena Semedo said in a press release.
In south China, the rice fields of Hunan Xinhua Ziquejie Terraces, Guangxi Longsheng Longji Terraces, Jiangxi Chongyi Hakka Terraces, and Fujian Youxi Lianhe Terraces were recognized for advancing local farming conditions and increasing grain output while benefiting the ecology of the mountainous region.
Mulberry trees in Shandong’s Xiajin county were first planted in 11 A.D. to control sandstorms. The groves also provided food and encouraged biodiversity by improving the soil, allowing farmers to also grow jujube, apricot, peach, hawthorn and plum trees among them.
In Huzhou of Zhejiang province, mulberries were also planted, but for different purposes. Grown next to fish ponds over 2,500 years ago, the leaves are the sole food source for silkworms, and the bugs’ excrements provide food for the fishes. In turn, the rich mud at the bottom of the ponds are dug up every winter for use as fertilizers for the trees.
Zhagana intersects three major landforms: the Tibetan Plateau, the Loess Plateau, and the Chengdu basin. It’s also where three climates converge: the tropics of central and south China, the temperate weather of north China, and the humid zone at the edge of the plateau. Because of these varying conditions, farmers have developed techniques to sustainably harvest the area’s resources. They grow crops according to the season, farm animals for milk, meat, and fur, and forage for herbs and medicine. Although they harvest trees to build houses, cultural taboos help to control excessive deforestation as well as overhunting.
These four new sites bring China’s total number of GIAHS up to 13, with tea fields, duck farms, and vineyards among them.
