2-1 A STRATEGY FOR INTENSIVE-SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IN CHINA AND DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS IN TEN COUNTIES

2-1

Project Scope and Relationship to China's Agenda 21

This project seeks to formulate a comprehensive management system for sustainable agriculture, to promote the sustainable use of natural resources, to select sustainable agricultural technology, and to promote capacity building, particularly human resource development. The project is based on programme areas 13A, 13D, and 13E of China's Agenda 21. Other areas of Agenda 21 related to this project are 13B, 13F and 13G.

1. Background

Sustainable agriculture systems are a priority for China. The arable land per capita is less than 0.1 hectare. By the next century, the population will be between 1.5 and 1.6 billion. At the same time, China's arable land area of 100 million ha. is being reduced by about 200-300,000 ha. per year. With economic development, the tension between population and arable land has become more acute. This means that Chinese agriculture must move to sustainable systems of land use that can deliver optimal crop yields with high-efficiency, fully utilizing available land while conserving and improving the natural resource heritage for the benefit of future generations.

Current resource management and environment problems include: an eroding base of arable land; a limited supply of water resources; soil and water erosion; land desertification; farmland pollution; grassland and in-shore fishery degeneration; loss of biodiversity; poor agriculture infrastructure; frequent natural calamities; surplus rural labor; low labor productivity and low farmer incomes; and agricultural technology which is inconsistent with the needs of sustainable development.

The Chinese government pays attention to sustainable agriculture development. With the support of the State Science and Technology Commission and the State Planning Commission, some experiments related to sustainable agriculture have been conducted. This work provides a solid foundation for further work on a coordinated strategy for sustainable agriculture. By using demonstration projects, the Government will be able to develop the requisite technology and ensure that capacity at the local and community level is strengthened to implement the coordinated strategy which is developed. The post-UNCED period provides an opportunity for international cooperation to share other countries' experiences in sustainable agriculture, to broaden thinking, to raise awareness and to develop new methods of sustainable resource management to promote the course of Chinese sustainable agriculture.

2. Objectives

• Long-term objective
  • To develop a strategy for intensive-sustainable agriculture for China. This will help increase agricultural productivity, and will accelerate the development of a food supply which has a high-yield, is of high-quality, and is produced in a highly-efficient manner. This in turn will lead to a reliable food supply and grain yield which will meet the needs of more than 1.1 billion people. A more sustainable system of agricultural production will also assist the development of rural areas, increase employment opportunities, increase farmer incomes, and help alleviate poverty in rural areas. At the same time, implementation of a strategy will help in the sustainable management of natural resources and in environmental protection.

• Immediate objectives
  • To analyze current experiences of Chinese conventional agriculture, identifying factors that affect sustainable agriculture, and to formulate a strategy for intensive-sustainable agriculture, through the intervention of ten demonstration projects which will assist to make operational the principles of sustainable agriculture and which will also provide training and extension services for implementing the lessons learned.

• 3.1 The strategy for intensive-sustainable agriculture will be developed through:
  • Studying present conditions, problems and obstacles affecting sustainable development of Chinese agriculture and rural development.
  • Identifying key factors of China's sustainable agricultural practices.
  • Conducting research on sustainable agriculture and rural development in different ecological regions on the basis of demonstration projects in different counties.
  • Formulating strategies, plans and policies for sustainable agriculture.

    The implementing agencies will be the State Planning Commission, the State Science and Technology Commission, and the Ministry of Agriculture. The duration of the project will be 6 years.

• 3.2 Demonstration of intensive-sustainable agricultural systems in ten counties. These will emphasize optimal yields, multiple cropping, high-quality crops, and high-efficiency and good environmental practices in different ecological regions. This activity will provide a demonstration of the scientific techniques of the last activity, as well as the application and dissemination of these results. The ten demonstration projects will be selected according to types of agricultural areas. These counties are:
  • Fangshan district, Beijing, represents the types of outskirts of a town and mountain regions of northern China.
  • Baiquan county, Heilongjiang Province, represents farming area of northeastern plain.
  • Tumote county, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, represents combined region of farming and livestock raising along Great Wall.
  • Bukang county, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, represents oasis farming, livestock raising and desertification area in northwestern China.
  • Hequ county, Shanxi Province, represents type of loess plateau area.
  • Loudi district, Hunan Province, represents farming area in lower-middle reaches of Yangtze River.
  • Lezhi county, Sichuan Province, represents Sichuan Basin and crowded population area.
  • Pingba county, Guizhou Province, represents poor karst area in Southwestern China.
  • Cao county, Shandong Province, represents farming area in plain of northern China.
  • Changhai county, Liaoning Province, represents fishery area in shallow sea.

    Each demonstration project will look at the present state of farming systems and agricultural production, identify obstacles that affect sustainable development, examine resource utilization practices, and develop systems of sustainable agriculture applicable to the local environment.

    The implementing agency will be the Ministry of Agriculture which will organize the demonstration counties and other relevant departments. The duration of the project will be ten years.

• 3.3 Development and dissemination of intensive-sustainable agriculture practices. This activity will summarize the key elements of sustainable development in Chinese conventional agriculture using the demonstration projects as a basis. Practices to be examined include intensive cultivation, intercropping, relay cropping and multiple cropping, rotation, rational used organic and inorganic fertilizers, techniques of dryland farming etc.. Traditional and conventional farming systems will be enhanced by their merger with new technologies to develop systems that are more sustainable. Experiences from foreign countries in areas such as integrated control of plant diseases and insect pests, use of biological pesticides, biofertilizers, low pollution techniques, biological techniques will also be linked with the lessons from the demonstration projects.

  The new techniques and practices will be disseminated through training and extension activities based on the demonstration projects. This will help build capacity at the local level, assisting with farmer training and enabling the necessary changes to occur at the grass roots levels.

  The implementing agencies will be the State Planning Commission and the Ministry of Agriculture. These organizations will be responsible for organizing input from other relevant departments. The duration of the project will be ten years.

• 3.4 Establish a training research center of Asian Intensive-Sustainable Agriculture on the foundation of both the Agricultural Resource Division Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science and invited experts from domestic and abroad.

  The Centre will train Chinese technicians and agriculture administrative personnel as well as recruits from Asian countries. At the same time, the Centre will undertake research on sustainable farming systems and carry out information exchanges throughout the world by developing international cooperation and technical exchange capacities.

  The Centre will also keep abreast of current developments and trends in sustainable agriculture in other countries such as the United States, Japan, France, Germany, Mexico, Brazil and India. This information will be adapted to Chinese conditions and disseminated in the country.

  The implementing agency will be the Ministry of Agriculture through the Division Management Department of Agricultural Resources, the Division Institute of Agricultural Resources and Agricultural Economy Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science. The duration of the project is 10 years.

• 4.1 Domestic Inputs:
  • Project management - experts, technicians, administrative personals and labour services.
  • Communication, office facilities, training places, experimental sites and necessary instrument and equipment for research.
  • Techniques and data.
  • The construction of infrastructure and agroecological engineering for demonstration projects.
  • Training expenses.

• 4.2 International Inputs:
  • Assistance for capability building - technical consulting services of foreign experts and training of technicians.
  • Exchange of techniques, methods, data and experiences.
  • Advanced instrument and equipment for observing, analyzing, training and building facilities of training center.
  • Technical cooperation through cooperative research.
  • Introduction of high and new techniques and materials of sustainable agriculture (such as microbe materials, biological pesticide and biofertilizer, etc).
  • Investigation of sustainable agriculture techniques of foreign countries.
  • Part of funds for demonstration projects.

After implementation, this project will play an important role in promoting development of Chinese agriculture and rural economy. Four key aspects are:

·Identification of the parameters and the formulation of a strategy for sustainable agriculture and rural development, including plans, policies and related theories and methods. Farming systems contributing to sustainable agriculture will be developed, combining conventional and new practices.

The demonstration projects will assist in the development of the ten counties through improved agriculture production, better farmer incomes, employment for surplus labor in rural area while managing resources in a sustainable manner, and protecting the environment.

• The results will provide a scientific basis for decision-making by relevant government departments and enable them to work out policies of rural development, agriculture technique, agriculture input and agricultural resource conservation.

• Dissemination and application of relevant theories, methods, techniques and models of sustainable agriculture for use throughout the country. This project will help to train technicians, administrative cadres, and farmers in sustainable agriculture practices.

• The project will can also provide experiences, patterns and techniques of sustainable agriculture development applicable to other developing countries, thus making a contribution to the development of sustainable agriculture in the world.