Xinhua News Agency, Rome, May 22 (Reporter He Fei) On May 22, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) held a certification ceremony for the 2023 Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems system at its headquarters in Rome, and issued certificates to 24 newly identified important agricultural cultural heritage sites. Four regions in China have been awarded certificates.
The four heritage sites in China are the dryland Shiyan terrace system in Shexian County, Hebei Province, the tea culture system in Anxi Tieguanyin Tea, Fujian Province, the grassland nomadic system in Arhorqin, Inner Mongolia, and the forest mushroom co cultivation system in Qingyuan, Zhejiang Province.
On July 2, 2021, livestock graze on Horqin grassland in Inner Mongolia. Photographed by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Yunping
Since the last certification ceremony in 2018, FAO has identified 24 new heritage sites from Brazil, China, Ecuador, Iran, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Morocco, Spain, Thailand, and Tunisia.
The 22nd coincides with International Biodiversity Day. Qu Dongyu, Director General of FAO, pointed out in his speech at the awarding ceremony that the system of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems can be called the "treasure house of biodiversity", which was emphasized on the International Biodiversity Day, helping to promote all parties to "enhance understanding and recognition of biodiversity issues, and commend the contributions of local communities to biodiversity conservation".
China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, Guang Defu, said that China uses less than 9% of the world's arable land and 6% of its water resources to feed nearly 20% of the world's population. This is thanks to China's active development of modern agriculture, the use of various elements and modern technological means to enhance agricultural productivity, and is closely related to the agricultural development concept of adapting to local conditions, adapting to nature, and ecological cycles.
In 2002, FAO launched the protection plan for Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems, aiming to establish a protection system for Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems and its related landscapes, biodiversity, knowledge and culture, making it the basis for sustainable management of traditional agricultural systems. Each recognized heritage site must meet the five criteria established by the independent scientific advisory group, namely food and livelihood security; Agricultural biodiversity; Local and traditional knowledge systems; Culture, value system, and social organization; Featured land and ocean landscapes. As of now, the total number of heritage sites recognized by the institution has reached 74.
