At A Glance

The Response

The project will support activities in the three mountain ranges to develop and test new, innovative concepts for agro-biodiversity (ABD) management on village level. With support from local agricultural authorities, institutions and private enterprises, farmers will implement biodiversity friendly farming practices in selected mountain areas of southern China in a sustainable way. The project focuses on sustainable management of ABD at genetic-, species-, and ecosystem levels by improving stakeholder knowledge, awareness and capacity for effective management and sustainable use of the ABD.

Project Focus

Ø  To promote sustainable management of ABD at farm and village levels；
Ø  To support farmer groups in the sustainable use of ABD through introduction of biodiversity friendly farming practices；
Ø  To develop proposals for the integration of ABD in a concept for sustainable development of the Wuling, Dabie and Wuzhi mountains in southern China；
Ø  To mainstream ABD management into agriculture and relevant sectors’ policies at county and village levels；
Ø  To support capacity building and awareness creation to sustainably manage ABD resources；

Useful links

Project Website

Cooperating Agency

Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ)

Partners

Ministry of Agriculture

The Challenge

China has a long history of locally adapted agriculture based on sustainable utilization of a wide range of ecosystems. Over the past 30 years the agricultural production has intensified with introduction of new cultivars and hybrids and with increased use of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. This development has had severe costs to biodiversity. Still the Wuling (Chongqing, Hunan, Hubei Provinces), Dabie (Anhui, Hubei) and Wuzhi (Hainan) mountain ranges represent areas of high biological and agricultural diversity spread over 3 climatic zones. However, increasing demand on land resources and structural changes in agriculture put pressure on these unique areas.