ROME, May 21 (Xinhua) — Three new sites in China were officially recognized by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) on Wednesday.

The newly-designated sites are the Deqing Freshwater Pearl Mussels Composite Fishery System in Zhejiang Province, the Fuding White Tea Culture System in Fujian Province, and the Gaolan Shichuan Ancient Pear Orchard System in Gansu Province. With the latest inclusions, China continues to lead globally in the number of GIAHS sites, now totaling 25

The 800-year-old Deqing system, which is focused on shelled pearl mussel cultivation, integrates aquaculture, agriculture, and traditional craftsmanship. It produces pearls, rice, silk, and other goods. This circular system offers valuable global insights into sustainable farming, ecological balance, and rural development, the FAO said.

Meanwhile, the centuries-old Fuding White Tea Culture System combines ecological knowledge with artisanal practices. It integrates tea gardens with forests and crops, preserving 18 varieties of tea trees. In addition to tea, the system also supports more than 120 other agricultural species, contributing to biodiversity and food system resilience.

The Gaolan Shichuan Ancient Pear Orchard System, located along the Yellow River in the arid Loess Plateau, has a 600-year history of dryland agroforestry. It showcases techniques adapted to water scarcity and erosion-prone soils, supporting agrobiodiversity, food security, and rural livelihoods. The system produces over 2 million kg of pears annually, which are used to produce local specialities such as dried pears.

"Agricultural heritage systems are living examples of harmony between people and nature that have thrived and evolved through generations and have much to teach us as we adapt to an uncertain future," said Kaveh Zahedi, director of the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment at FAO.

Other newly-recognized GIAHS sites beyond China include the shade-grown erva mate system in Parana, Brazil; the metepantle ancestral agricultural system in Tlaxcala, Mexico; and the agricultural systems in jable and volcanic sands on Spain's Lanzarote Island.

With the latest additions, the FAO's global agricultural heritage network now comprises 95 systems across 28 countries.

 

(Source: Xinhua)

Editor: Wang Shasha