Grain for Green Project

Grain for Green project

Introduced in 1999, the Grain for Green Project (GGP) in China aims at reducing soil erosion and restoring the badly degraded ecosystem, and improve agricultural production in the Loess Plateau and was imitated in other regions in China. A smart step in the direction of scientific development. It has seen promising results through the course of more than ten years of gradual improvement. The area has seen improvements not only in soil and water conservation status and expansion of grass and wood lands, but in agricultural production, economics, and living qualities of local people.

Method

To issue a project so large that “covers 25 provinces/regions/cities over 1600 counties, involving 15 million households and 60 million farmers” (Li Zhiyong), the support of local people is greatly needed. Agricultural tax codes are changed and subsidies are given to farmers whose fields are converted to forests while they work in organized afforestation effort, which engages millions of local households and allows the man power for the restoration to actually implement. The founding for the afforestation is also subsidized by the government. Economical forests that are converted form croplands are contracted to framers “with a combination of responsibilities, power and interests” (Li Zhiyong). This basically means that the farmers are allowed to own the forests that are converted from the crop lands, to transform their business, from primitive and low-efficiency agricultural labor to a variety of higher-efficiency crop (or tree crop) production, using more advances techniques such as using green houses, and benefit more, directly from their labor. This is a great deal for the farmers, a great incentive that inspired cooperation from local people, which is the key to the project.

To cover again the barren lands with greenness, ingenious landscape engineering methods are developed. Basically, it is flattening the slopes and filling the gullies. Terraced fields are built alone gentles slops, and on steeper slopes, other kinds of terracing methods are adopted to allow trees be planted and water to be preserved better in the soil and would not flow directly into the tributaries instantly after rain fall. Small dams are built to block the sediments and fill the gullies as well as creating small lakes designed to improve hydrological cycles. Dune stabilizing methods are also adopted in heavily desertificated areas. Finally, agricultural practices are also changed: Grazing was banned and converted to household ranging. A variety of other crops and tree crops are introduced  

the essence is to terrace

sediment damb convert gully into fields

Achievements

The restoration had good results, environmentally and economically.

7.7 million hectares of farmland has been converted into forest nationwide from 1999 to 2002 (FAO), with new vegetation established, the loess plateau has transformed from a carbon source to a carbon sink. Replanting and bans on grazing allowed the perennial vegetation cover to increase from 17 to 34 percent (Restoring China’s Loess Plateau). Soil and water are becoming better conserved, and the sediments, more than 100 million tons each year (Restoring China’s Loess Plateau), as well as nitrogen and phosphorous in the lower reaches of the yellow river have significantly reduced (Lu 6). The factors allowed synergistic effect to allow nature to expand by itself, but also induced regional water yield (Lu 6).

         While acreage of cropland have been reduced, agricultural production and economy have generally improved. Terracing, sediment capture, and change in farming practices, besides reducing runoff and such, have secured food production by reducing droughts and making the slopes more arable. “During the second project period, per capita grain output increased from 365 kg to 591 kg per year” (the world bank). As the food value and output increases so does the income of local farmers. Income increased, employment raised, and roads built to facilitate commerce. 

change in land cover ()

water and soil change due to land cover change (Lu 4)

(Lu 5)

"During the past 15 years, the 11 EDAs have

undergone great change. The average yield of

farmland has increased by 100–300%. Grain yield

has increased from 5737.5 kilograms per hectare

(kg/ha) to 8196 kg/ha; average personal income has

risen from 218 yuan/year to more than 2000 yuan/

year (US$1 = 8.0 yuan). The amount of reclaimed

land has increased from 46.1% to 80.2%. Research

achievements have been applied to up to 10 million

hectares of farmland, with some 5.55 billion yuan in

increased crop value." (Li R 361)

EDAs (Li R 360)

In order to have a detailed look on the change in land cover, take Ansai as a case study. Located in the central part of the Loess Plateau, Ansai county (Fig. 6, from Zhou et al., 2012), part of Yan'an municipal city, is the national station for water and soil conservation. Ansai County covers an area of 2940.9 square kilometers (40◦14'11"N–42◦27'42"N, 75◦33'16"E to 80◦59'7"E) , is one of the eleven experimental and demonstration areas for ecosystem rehabiliation in the Loess Plateau described by Li et al., 2012.

Overal ecosystem of Ansai County, Shaanxi Province, which is the the national station for water and soil conservation in Loess Plateau. In Shaanxi Province, the green color represents low hilly loess terrain with the lowest altitude of 921 m, and the brown color represents the high hilly loess terrain with the highest altitude of 1730 m. Ansai is located in the lower hilly loess terrain.  (Zhou et al., 2012).

Ansai county

After a detailed study for the ecosystem management in Ansai county, the authors (Zhou et al., 2012) concluded that the implementation of the Green to Grain Program (GGP) increased the newly forested land substantially to 21.4% of the study area by 2010 at the cost of both cropland and shrub–grassland, which decreased by 46.3% and 18.8%, respectively, from 1995 to 2010; and  the coverage of forested land (both older forest and newly forested land) increased from 12.4% in 1995 to 37.7% in 2010 (Zhou et al., 2012).

Land cover changes during the Green to Grain Program in Ansai county

Future prospect

      The nature restoration project has had some notable effect in revitalizing the ecosystem and improving the lives of local people and adjusting the agricultural and industrial structure, which is a great start for future developments.

      To keep up the good trend. Several aspects should be considered: (1). The government should continue to provide grain, since the loess plateau itself cannot produce enough food yet, and subsidize tree crop and other alternative high-efficiency agriculture to improve the economic security of local people.  (2). With the economy growing, and introduction of mining, oil, and related industries, prudent and well thought development plans should be made rather than making radical steps concerning only interests at the sacrifice of nature. (3) The restoration of nature and conversion of low efficient traditional agriculture should keep momentum and spread the greenness into deeper, starker, and even less populated areas. Revegeration should also be based on a more comprehensive study of local climate; choose the right plant for the right climate and keep monitor and maintenance. And of course we need to develop and apply better technology for soil conservation and sustainable agriculture.

References

“Restoring China’s Loess Plateau.” The World Bank. http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2007/03/15/restoring-chinas-loess-plateau

Li Zhiyong. “17 A policy review on watershed protection and poverty alleviation by the Grain for Green Programme in China.” FAO. http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2007/03/15/restoring-chinas-loess-plateau

Lu Y, Fu B, Feng X, Zeng Y, Liu Y, et al. (2012) A Policy-Driven Large Scale Ecological Restoration: Quantifying Ecosystem Services Changes in the Loess Plateau of China. PLoS ONE 7(2): e31782 edition. Prentice Hall. 626pp.

Li R, Liu GB, Xie YS, Yang QK, Liang YL, 2002. Ecosystem rehabilitation on the Loess Plateau. In: McVicar, TR, Li R, Walker J, Fitzpatrick RW and Liu CM (eds), Regional Water and Soil Assessment for Managing Sustainable Agriculture in China and Australia, ACIAR Monograph No. 84, 358–365.

Zhou DC, Zhao SQ, Zhu C. 2012. The Grain for Green Project induced land cover change in the Loess Plateau: A case study with Ansai County, Shanxi Province, China. Ecological Indicators. 23: 88-94.