Three Sites In China Among Six Newly Recognized As Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems

Scoop

24-05-2025

Bangkok/ Rome - Three sites in China specializing in freshwater pearl mussels, white tea and pears have become the latest additions to Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS). Other newly designated sites include a traditional agroforestry system growing the erva-mate plant in Brazil, an ancestral system preserving vital food crops and biodiversity in Mexico and a distinctive farming system in the volcanic landscape of Spain's Lanzarote Island.
'Amid the increasing impacts of climate variability and extremes and biodiversity loss on agriculture and farmers, these systems are bright spots showing how communities can draw upon age old knowledge systems and practices to put food on the table, protect jobs and livelihoods and maintain unique and sustainable agricultural landscapes,' said Kaveh Zahedi, Director of the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and environment at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). '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.'
The systems were formally designated under FAO's flagship programme during a meeting of the GIAHS Scientific Advisory Group on19 to 21 May. With the newest additions, FAO's worldwide agricultural heritage network now consists of 95 systems in 28 countries around the globe. The newly designated systems take the number in China to 25- the most of any country while Brazil now has two, Mexico three, and Spain six.
Deqing Freshwater Pearl Mussels Composite Fishery System in Zhejiang Province, China
In Deqing County, farmers have sustained an 800-year-old fish-mussel co-cultivation system that merges aquaculture, agriculture, and craftsmanship. Centered on shelled pearl mussel techniques, it yields pearls, rice, silk, and more. This circular system enhances biodiversity, food security, and cultural heritage, offering global insights into sustainable farming, ecological balance, and rural development.
Mussel-based filtration reduces ammonia by 40 percent, nitrite by 54 percent, total nitrogen by 38 percent, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) by 30 percent, making aquaculture compatible with ecosystem restoration.
The system supports more than 22 000 residents through farming, pearl processing, eco-tourism, and experiential education.
Fuding White Tea Culture System in Fujian Province, China
In Fuding, China, centuries-old white tea cultivation blends ecological wisdom and craftsmanship. Centered on the Lüxueya mother tree and natural withering techniques, this system integrates tea gardens with forests and crops, preserving biodiversity and supporting rural livelihoods. Deep cultural roots, rituals, and traditions reflect a strong bond between people, tea, and the land.
The system preserves 18 tea tree varieties and beyond tea, it also embraces more than 120 other agricultural species, including 41 vegetables, 14 fruits, 11 domestic animal species, 31 freshwater species, and 32 edible fungi, contributing to ecological and food system resilience.
Gaolan Shichuan Ancient Pear Orchard System in Gansu Province, China
In Shichuan town by the Yellow River, a 600-year-old agroforestry system thrives, with towering pear trees cultivated using the traditional 'Gaotian' method. Integrating fruit trees, crops, and livestock, it preserves ancient varieties like Ruan'er and Dongguo. Resilient to droughts and floods, the system sustains agrobiodiversity, food security, and rural livelihoods.
Annual pear yield exceeds 2 million kilograms; processed into fresh fruit, dried pears, and local specialties.
Located in the arid Loess Plateau region, the system exemplifies dryland farming adapted to water scarcity and erosion-prone soils. The system helps conserve native plant and insect species by maintaining traditional polyculture practices and reducing reliance on chemical inputs.
Shade-grown Erva Mate in Paraná, Brazil
For centuries, Indigenous Peoples and traditional communities in southern Brazil have cultivated erva-mate in shaded agroforestry systems rooted in ancestral and agroecological practices. The leaves of the native tree species are traditionally consumed as chimarrão, tereré or mate in other countries like Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.
By integrating food crops, native fruits, and forest products, the system strengthens biodiversity, food sovereignty, and cultural identity, while helping conserve the Araucaria Forest, one of the planet's most endangered biodiversity hotspots and a vital reservoir of life.
In a region heavily impacted by deforestation, where only one percent of the original forest remains, this system offers a rare example of agricultural practices that preserve forest cover while supporting livelihoods and cultural heritage.
Metepantle Ancestral Agricultural System in Tlaxcala, México
In the mountainous and semi-arid landscapes of Tlaxcala state, for over three millennia, farming families in Tlaxcala have sustained the Metepantle system, a terraced mosaic of maize, agave, beans, squash, and wild plants. Rooted in Nahua Indigenous Peoples' knowledge, it preserves seeds, supports dryland biodiversity, and anchors local food systems and livelihoods, offering resilience and cultural continuity in one of Mexico's most climate-vulnerable regions.
The system maintains over 140 native species, including 40 maize landraces and 30 types of edible greens, practising community-based conservation through family traditions, seed fairs, and exchange networks. It provides fibre, food, drink, soil stabilization, and pollinator habitat.
Agricultural Systems in Jable and Volcanic Sands in Lanzarote Island, Spain
On Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands, where arid black volcanic fields evoke a lunar landscape, and the wind rarely rests, farmers developed a remarkable agricultural system rooted in the innovative use of local soil. Following six years of volcanic eruptions in the 18th century, they began using volcanic lapilli or lava fragments (enarenado) and sea sand (jable) to trap moisture, regulate soil temperature and protect crops.
Grapes, sweet potatoes, and legumes are cultivated using this method, which sustains biodiversity, livelihoods, and cultural heritage in one of Europe's driest regions — largely without irrigation.
The enarenado system covers more than 12 000 hectares. It combines mulching with volcanic ash from historical eruptions and materials transported from volcanic zones, along with jable, a mulching technique that uses sea sand carried by wind and erosion over centuries.