PLEC CHINA

Introduction

Achievements

1. Shifted its main interest from general issues of population growth and resource management to specific issues of 'biodiversity conservation'. 'Biodiversity' was further divided into 'natural biodiversity' and 'agricultural biodiversity'.

2. Agrobiodiversity assessment in demonstration sites was conducted at both landscape and household levels. Major research findings, including methodologies, were published in two special issues of Acta Botanica Yunnanica on agrobiodiversity assessment and conservation.

3. The traditional extension by outside technicians has been replaced by expert farmers' demonstration of local innovations. By 2001, a total of 27 expert farmers with their best practices in three villages are recognized by scientists and other farmers. From 1998 to 2001, 10 expert farmers demonstrated their successful management practices to over 1000 farmers in Baihualing village alone.

4. Scientists and technicians has gradually reduced their roles in experimental and demonstration activities from being organizers to being facilitators while farmers, especially the Gaoligongshan Farmers' Association for Biodiversity Conservation has taken an increasing roles in promoting conservation farming and forest management. The Association has 115 members, and its activities were reported in many medias such as China Central TV, and Japan NHK. Members of the Association said they had a sense of recognition and felt more responsible to develop and promote conservation farming practices.

5. Capacity development - Junior researchers and students have become the key research force of the Cluster. Six PLEC postgraduates published 8 academic papers. They are fully trained to carry on the PLEC-type of research in future.

The three outcomes from 3) to 5) are essential to sustain PLEC ideas by farmers themselves and younger researchers. Recently, a national workshop on conservation of agrobiodiversity was organized in Kunming to introduce PLEC successful approaches to other provinces in southwestern China. There was a strong interest in developing an expanded follow-up project concerning agrobiodiversity conservation in three provinces of Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi.

Publication & Report

(List of Publication)

• Final Report [WORD file - 315 KB]

News & Events