China has a five-thousand-year history of agricultural civilization. Diversified natural and cultural features across regions have led to a variety of agricultural heritage systems which have evolved from the co-adaptation of the local community and its environment. However, for a long period, their ecological rationality and potential economic benefits have not been fully recognized. In most cases, they are considered primitive practices and should be abandoned and adopt modern agriculture techniques to cope for living today.
In 2005, with the introduction of FAO's GIAHS Initiative in China, a new vision and understanding of "traditional agriculture" has begun. Through the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research (OGSNRR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and in cooperation with the local governments, the Center for Natural and Cultural Heritage (CNACH), or GIAHS Office, was established. The GIAHS Office has spearheaded research and development activities leading to significant country side development investments and policy change.