Ministry of Agriculture Vigorously Promotes the Discovery and Protection of Agricultural Heritage

This website reports:  The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed: “Build a system for passing on fine traditional culture and carry forward China's fine traditional culture”. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out at the Central Rural Work Conference: “Farming culture is a valuable asset of China's agriculture and an important part of Chinese culture. Not only must it not be lost, but it must be continuously carried forward and enhanced”.

China's long and splendid history of farming culture, together with the enormous differences in nature and culture among different regions, has created agricultural heritage sites of many kinds, with distinctive features and a high degree of unity between economic and ecological value, such as the Honghe Rice Terraces System in Yunnan and the Qingtian Rice-Fish Symbiosis System in Zhejiang, as well as traditional tea gardens, jujube orchards, vineyards and other agricultural production systems in many places. These are models of agricultural culture created by the Chinese working people through their unique and diverse natural conditions and their diligence and wisdom. They embody the philosophical idea of harmony between heaven and humanity and have relatively high historical and cultural value. However, in the course of rapid economic development, accelerating urbanisation and the continuous application of modern agricultural technology, due to the lack of systematic and effective protection, some important agricultural heritage sites are facing the danger of being destroyed, forgotten and abandoned. In order to implement the decisions and arrangements of the central government, the Ministry of Agriculture has earnestly performed its duties, adopted a variety of measures, and strengthened the discovery, protection, transmission and utilisation of important agricultural heritage, and has achieved certain results.

First, formulate relevant standards and management systems. The Ministry of Agriculture has successively formulated and issued the "Criteria for the Recognition of China-Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems", the "Guidelines for the Compilation of Application Documents for China-Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems" and the "Measures for the Management of China-Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (Trial)". Among them, the "Criteria for the Recognition of China-Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems" defines the concept of China-Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems and puts forward specific criteria in terms of historicity, systematicness, sustainability, endangered status, demonstrativeness and safeguarding. The "Measures for the Management of China-Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (Trial)" mainly regulate the protection and management of China-Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems and clarify the rights and obligations of all stakeholders.

Second, establish an expert committee. In order to provide strong technical support in policy research, advisory services, technical guidance, review and recognition, and academic exchange for the discovery of China-Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems, the Ministry of Agriculture established the China-Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems Expert Committee, composed of 27 experts from the fields of agriculture, ecology, environment, economics, history, culture and society. The committee's duties are to conduct systematic research on the resource, cultural, economic and social value of China-Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems, to provide expert advice and technical guidance for the work of discovery, protection, transmission and utilisation, and to assist government departments in the development of standards, formulation of management measures, project review and academic discussion concerning China-Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems.

Third, carry out nationwide recognition work. In accordance with the relevant standards and system requirements, the Ministry of Agriculture organised the selection and recognition of China-Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems across the country, and recognised a total of 39 China-Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems in two batches. These heritage sites include many types, such as traditional rice cultivation systems, distinctive agricultural systems, compound agricultural systems and traditional distinctive orchards, and have a long historical origin, unique agricultural products, rich biological resources, a complete knowledge and technology system, and relatively high aesthetic and cultural value. Of these 39 China-Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems, 11 have already been recognised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems, and China has become the country with the most Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems.

Fourth, guide heritage sites in compiling protection and development plans. The Ministry of Agriculture issued the "Guidelines for the Compilation of Protection and Development Plans for Agricultural Heritage", proposing the planning principles of protection first and appropriate utilisation, overall protection and coordinated development, dynamic protection and function expansion, and multi-party participation and shared benefits, and requiring the governments of all heritage sites to raise awareness, increase investment, base themselves on actual conditions, determine protection and development goals, incorporate heritage protection and development plans into the local national economic and social development plan, overall land use plan and urban and rural construction plan, scientifically delineate the scope of heritage sites, and clarify the layout of agricultural ecological protection, agricultural cultural protection, agricultural landscape protection and ecological product development.

Fifth, publicise and display China-Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems. In 2013 and 2014, the Ministry of Agriculture organised two events to release China-Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems, inviting mainstream Chinese media to participate, and carried out concentrated and comprehensive publicity and display of China-Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems, advocating throughout society the awareness of protecting agricultural heritage and raising the public's level of understanding of agricultural heritage. At the same time, the Ministry of Agriculture guided the local governments where the heritage sites are located to strengthen the publicity and display of China-Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems, and explicitly required all heritage sites to set up a “China-Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage System Mark” in the core area of the heritage site, and to set up heritage exhibition halls to publicise the concept and connotation of the heritage, traditional techniques, landscape resources and historical culture.

Next, the Ministry of Agriculture will organise and guide agricultural departments at all levels to further strengthen work planning, improve working mechanisms, and actively explore and improve policy measures and working mechanisms for protecting agricultural heritage; strengthen supervision and management, urge the governments of recognised heritage sites to set up heritage marks as required and to do a good job in protection in accordance with the already-issued development plans and management measures; and strengthen publicity and promotion, and on the basis of deeply exploring the spiritual connotation of agricultural heritage, use modern display methods to step up publicity, create a good social atmosphere, and promote the transmission of Chinese farming civilisation.