Four agricultural sites in China recognized for their heritage value

On Thursday the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) designated four sites in China as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS).

Four sites in China were designated as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization at the 5th meeting of the GIAHS International Forum in Rome on Thursday, April 19, 2018. [Photo: FAO]

The announcement was made during the 5th meeting of GIAHS International Forum in Rome, Italy, which is home to the FAO headquarters.

A total of 14 new locations have been added to the list of GIAHS sites, including China's "Zhagana Agriculture-Forest-Animal Husbandry Composite System", "Huzhou Mulberry-dyke and Fish Pond System", "Rice Terraces in Southern Mountainous and Hilly Areas", and "Xiajin Yellow River Old Course Ancient Mulberry Grove System". 

China now has 15 GIAHS sites, the largest number in any one country.

Rice Terraces in Southern Mountainous and Hilly Areas. [File Photo: Agricultural bureau of Multinational Autonomous County of Longsheng]

The GIAHS Programme was launched by the FAO in 2002 to "identify and safeguard Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems and their associated landscapes, agricultural biodiversity, and knowledge systems."

"There are 50 GIAHS sites in 20 countries. Some GIAHS sites in China have embraced new technologies by engaging with e-business companies like Alibaba to promote their agricultural heritage products," reads a statement on the official website of the FAO.