Thumbnail Image

Agroecological rice production in China

Restoring biological interactions

Year of publication 2018

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 116

Author FAO and South China Agricultural University

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Book (stand-alone)

ISBN 978-92-5-130704-5

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) Biodiversity is an important characteristic to keep ecosystems stable and to make efficient use of environmental resources. These trends of simplification of agro-ecosystems, loss of biodiversity, and degradation of ecosystem services need to be averted. Agroecology is a promising approach to restore biodiversity and ecosystem services to agro-ecosystems, and transition towards sustainable food and agricultural systems. Rice is the most important food crop, both worldwide and for China. To achieve a transition towards sustainable rice production based on agroecology, biodiversity is a crucial component. Through China’s long history of agricultural development, many rich experiences of harnessing biodiversity in traditional rice production have been accumulated. Eight typical methods of agroecological rice production are introduced in this report, with an emphasis on the role of biodiversity. These agroecological methods for harnessing biodiversity in rice production can be learned, modified, improved and integrated into rice production across different regions around the world according to the specific context in each place.

Language English

Also available in:
No results found.

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Thumbnail Image
    Project
    Traditional Dong’s Rice-Fish-Duck Agroecosystem in Southeast Guizhou, China. Proposal for the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Programme
    Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS)
    2010
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    As one of the outstanding representatives of Chinese traditional alpine agriculture, Rice-Fish-Duck Agro-ecosystem can date back to Eastern Han Dynasty. Within thousands of years, this farming practice has been handed down by minority communities of Guizhou, Hunan, and Guangxi Province, particularly by Dong people of Southwest Guizhou. This agro-ecosystem is an evolving result from co-evolution of human culture and natural environment, and it developed an extraordinary living model of sustainab le use of water and soil resources. Dong people in Southwest of Guizhou used to cultivating rice and simultaneously stocking fish and duck, which in nature is a kind of wisdom condensed by countless agricultural practice. Different in approaches but equally satisfactory in results, Traditional Dong’s Rice-Fish-Duck Agro-ecosystem and modern organic, vertical and ecological agriculture stand on the same footing in terms of sustainable produce concepts and techniques. They both stress importance t o high-efficiency, low toxicity and healthy food. Xianghe glutinous rice is one of those excellent products of Rice-Fish-Duck model. However, due to the influence of modern economic and societal change, traditional values gradually fade away, whist the excellent agricultural traditional culture confronted with threats and challenges from many aspects. Immediate action should be taken to conservation it. Values of this system need to be explored and assessed.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    Report of the International Symposium on Agroecology in China 2017
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    In September 2014 the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) convened the International Symposium on Agroecology for Food Security and Nutrition. This was followed in 2015 by three regional meetings in Brazil, Senegal and Thailand. These meetings brought together stakeholders from academia, policy and civil society to facilitate better understanding of the role of agroecology in contributing to food security and nutrition. The meetings confirmed that FAO’s approach to agro ecology should be based on regional and local realities as well as economic, social and environmental conditions. In order to continue to develop this regional approach a further symposium on agroecology the International Symposium on Agroecology for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems in China was organized by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), FAO, and Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences (YAAS), with the support of the Government of France.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Project
    Improving Rice Productivity in Bhutan to Enhance Rice Self-Sufficiency - TCP/BHU/3602 2020
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    In Bhutan, mountainous terrain limits agricultural land to just over three percent of the country, of which paddy cultivated area comprises 23 000 hectares, and is farmed by 28 000 households. There are three distinct rice ecosystems in the country, which are defined by three altitudes: low, mid and high. Rice yield is dependent on altitude, with the highest yields being produced in the high-altitude areas. However, as the altitude grows steeper, the terrain gets rougher; and most paddy fields are on narrowly terraced slopes. This limits farm mechanization, and the construction of irrigation infrastructures is costly. There is potential for increasing yield in low altitudes, with a more stable irrigation system and drought-tolerant rainfed rice varieties. Against this background, the project aimed to support development in the different agro-ecological zones (AEZs), to contribute to the Government's goal of achieving a higher level of rice self-sufficiency, through increased rice productivity and production.
Show more

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

No results found.