The Harvest: This Week in Rural China – Dispatch No. 13 (14 March 2025)

China’s Efforts to Combat Desertification, Ensure Agricultural Integrity, and Revitalise Rural Culture.

Workers at the Xibulong Forestry Centre press sand barriers into untreated desert land. (Photo by Li Yunping, Xinhua News Agency)

This week, The Harvest brings you a snapshot of some of China’s most pressing agricultural and cultural challenges:

• China’s Strategic Battle Against Desertification in Inner Mongolia and Gansu

• China’s Efforts to Safeguard Agricultural Integrity by Cracking Down on Counterfeit Seeds

• MARA Unveils “Ten Key Initiatives for Empowering Rural Revitalisation Through Culture”

• Smart Farming in State Media: Innovation or Smoke and Mirrors?

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Now, let’s dive into this week’s stories:

On 12 March, China’s Arbor Day, forestry workers in Gansu lay wheat straw grids to stabilise shifting dunes.

Fighting the Sands: China’s Strategic Battle Against Desertification in Inner Mongolia and Gansu

This week, state media spotlighted the escalating issue of desertification in rural China, focusing on two crucial regions: Inner Mongolia and Gansu. These regions, already vulnerable ecologically and critical to national interests, are facing relentless sand encroachment that jeopardises both local communities and the broader environment.

In Inner Mongolia, attention has centred on the Yellow River’s “Jizi Bend” (几字弯), a key site in the fight to prevent the merging of the Ulan Buh and Bayin Wudu’er deserts. If unchecked, these arid regions could form a vast desert, exacerbating the dust storms that frequently blanket Beijing and Tianjin and worsening air quality in China’s northern cities.

The “Three-North Shelterbelt Project” (三北防护林工程), a major government initiative, aims to halt desertification by reforesting large areas and building natural barriers against the sands. Media reports highlight the work of forestry teams at the Xibulong Forestry Centre in Wulatehou Banner, where reed mats are being laid to stabilise shifting dunes. This technique combines traditional methods with modern ecological engineering, including afforestation and planting shrubs and trees to act as natural sand barriers.

The urgency of this issue is underscored by the rising visibility of desertification in state media, which has increased national awareness of the long-term risks. Desertification in the region already contributes to the frequency of sandstorms affecting northern cities, making it a national concern beyond just the land—affecting the air people breathe.

In Bayan Nur, solar energy plays a key role in combating desertification. A photovoltaic sand-control project (光伏治沙项目) has gained attention for integrating renewable energy with ecological restoration, helping to stabilise the desert while providing a sustainable funding model for future efforts. This blending of green technologies with desertification control is emerging as a trend in other regions.

Meanwhile, Gansu’s focus has shifted to the Hexi Corridor, where the Tengger, Badain Jaran, and Kumtag deserts converge. In Minqin County, efforts to combat advancing sands have long been central to local concerns. State media reports that over 5,000 volunteers and officials gathered on 12 March, China’s Arbor Day, to lay wheat straw grids to stabilise shifting dunes. These grids are part of a larger project to create a green belt of shrubs and trees, acting as a barrier to further desert encroachment.

The speed of progress in Minqin—300 acres of land stabilised per day—has become a national benchmark for desertification control. The county’s 300-kilometre forest belt is a critical protective measure against the desert, and local authorities aim to complete over 25,000 hectares of afforestation and desert stabilisation in 2025. This is not just about environmental restoration; the survival of the Hexi Corridor and its oases is vital for the stability of China’s northwestern provinces. Desertification control in Gansu has become an urgent matter of national security, with far-reaching consequences if the desert continues to spread.

Despite the media attention, the fight against desertification remains a long-term challenge and an opportunity. The efforts in Inner Mongolia and Gansu demonstrate a multifaceted approach that combines traditional methods, modern technologies, afforestation, and renewable energy, supported by both local communities and national backing. Yet, while progress has been made, the battle is far from over. The stakes are high: for China’s land, people, and ecological future.

Cracking Down on Counterfeit Seeds: China’s Efforts to Safeguard Agricultural Integrity

A recent initiative by China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) to inspect the spring seed market reveals the government’s growing concern over the integrity and safety of the agricultural supply chain. Focusing on critical crops such as corn, soybeans, rice, and potatoes highlights the country’s drive to ensure food security amidst increasing pressures on its agricultural sector.

MARA’s crackdown on counterfeit, substandard, and unlicensed seeds is seen as critical in protecting the nation’s food production chain. Poor-quality seeds can directly impact crop yields, which, in turn, affect both local farmers’ livelihoods and the broader economy. The initiative aims to reduce the risks of crop failure and inefficiency that can plague the agricultural industry by targeting illegal seed practices, including trademark infringement and unregulated sales.

The inspection also extends to online platforms, which have seen significant growth in China’s e-commerce sector. With the rise of online seed sales, the government’s move to regulate and monitor this space is timely. Ensuring sellers meet regulatory standards is crucial for maintaining consumer trust and providing the products’ legitimacy.

However, while the intentions behind this crackdown are meritorious, there are questions about the execution and impact on smaller, local producers. Heavy enforcement might disproportionately burden smaller vendors who may struggle to comply with increasingly strict regulations, potentially limiting market competition. Additionally, the government’s reliance on a top-down approach in regulating such a vast and diverse industry could stifle innovation and flexibility within the sector.

In sum, while MARA’s efforts are a step toward ensuring agricultural stability, the challenge lies in balancing regulation with the market’s needs, fostering innovation, and promoting sustainable practices that can withstand internal and global pressures.

China Unveils “Ten Key Initiatives for Empowering Rural Revitalisation Through Culture”

This week, on 11 March 2025, China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) announced a significant cultural development initiative aimed at revitalising rural areas. The “Ten Key Initiatives for Empowering Rural Revitalisation Through Culture” (文化赋能乡村全面振兴十项重点工作) seeks to blend the preservation of agricultural traditions with the drive for modernisation in rural communities.

The announcement, part of a broader government effort to reinvigorate China’s rural areas, places cultural empowerment at the centre of its strategy. These ten initiatives aim to protect and promote rural cultural heritage through a combination of traditional practices and modern technological solutions. One key aspect of the plan is the use of digital tools to preserve agricultural customs, giving rural culture a new platform and expanding its reach beyond local communities. Digital innovations, such as immersive experiences, are being touted as a way to revitalise ancient farming techniques and practices, ensuring they are passed down through generations.

However, the announcement has raised questions about the authenticity of these efforts. What may appear to be a cultural revival could become another mechanism for commercialisation. With a focus on promoting rural arts, tourism, and local festivals, the programme risks transforming rural culture into a marketable product for urban populations rather than a genuine reflection of rural identity.

Additionally, the plan includes measures to tackle social pressures such as high dowries, extravagant funerals, and excessive competition over social status. While these measures might alleviate financial burdens, they also invite concerns about state intervention in traditional rural practices. The emphasis on “spiritual civilisation” and moral reform could blur the line between cultural preservation and societal engineering.

Despite these concerns, MARA suggests it will offer a much-needed boost to rural economies and the cultural fabric of China’s agricultural heartlands. The success of these measures will ultimately depend on whether they can balance the need for cultural preservation with the realities of economic and social pressures in rural areas.

Smart Farming: Innovation or Just Smoke and Mirrors?

This week, People’s Daily has made high-standard farmland a headline staple, celebrating China’s ambitious drive to modernise its agriculture. According to state media, 66.7 million hectares of farmland have been upgraded with advanced technology, better irrigation, and improved soil management. This is heralded as a triumph in the face of rising food security concerns. But for all the fanfare, the real impact of this initiative remains far from clear.

The emphasis on precision farming — using drones, artificial intelligence, and satellite mapping — sounds like a blueprint for a sustainable agricultural future. Yet, the government’s own statistics paint a different picture. Despite this technological upgrade, China remains the world’s largest importer of soybeans, corn, and wheat. In 2024, China’s grain production reached 700 million tonnes, but the country still had to import vast amounts to meet domestic demand. This raises the uncomfortable question: how much has this technological push really changed China’s agricultural landscape?

The state’s narrative conveniently glosses over deeper structural issues within the sector. While the new technology is beneficial for large, state-backed agribusinesses, it fails to address the broader problems of rural poverty, ageing farmers, and the shrinking of arable land. Small farmers, who make up the backbone of Chinese agriculture, have limited access to these innovations, leaving them reliant on outdated practices. The drive to digitise farming is noble in theory, but it does little to alleviate the struggles of most of the country’s farmers.

In truth, this week’s headlines are not about addressing the real challenges of Chinese agriculture but about bolstering the image of a modern, self-sufficient nation. It’s the same old playbook: promote technological advances while sidestepping the hard realities. Until the government faces up to the issues at the grassroots level, these announcements will remain little more than empty headlines — a carefully crafted illusion of progress.

Between Mountains and Waters - Photo of the Week for 14 March 2025

This week's photo highlights one of many painted walls in Daotuo Town, Shandong Province, designed to reflect the local culture and values. The vibrant murals, rich in colour and detail, serve not only as decorative elements but also as tools for cultural education, weaving local history into the fabric of everyday life. Through these murals, the village not only enhances its aesthetic appeal to tourists but also fosters a deeper sense of pride and connection to its roots, creating a space where tradition and modernity coexist in a visually striking way.