Global Experts Convene To Share Insights On Farming Culture In Hunan

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 (Bernama) -- The Second "From Ziquejie Terraces To The World" Global Farming Culture Exchange and Mutual Learning Conference kicked off in Xinhua County, Loudi City, central China's Hunan Province, on Sept 12.

The conference attracted more than 200 attendees, including representatives from international organisations such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Officials in China from countries like France and Peru, known for their terraced landscapes, also attended alongside domestic and foreign experts in agriculture, culture, and tourism.

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The conference centred on key issues like preserving global agricultural heritage and advancing green agricultural economies, according to a statement.

Participants explored strategies for protecting and passing down farming traditions, highlighting Hunan's innovative approaches to preserving and utilising agricultural heritage and offering China's solutions for the global preservation of agricultural heritage.

During the opening ceremony, the World Consensus on the Integrated Development of Terrace Agriculture, Culture, and Tourism was unveiled, emphasising the importance of recognising the value of terraced landscapes, protecting their ecosystems, preserving the farming culture of the terrace, and promoting the integration of agriculture, culture, and tourism.

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It also called for increased international exchanges and cooperation, and innovative development models, while the conference adopted a "1+N" model, consisting of an opening ceremony, keynote speeches, and three thematic forums.

These parallel forums focused on promoting the Ziquejie Terraces as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, advancing the local homestay industry, and positioning Ziquejie as a world-class tourism destination.

The Ziquejie Terraces are a globally significant agricultural and irrigation heritage site. Located on Ziquejie Mountain, the area is known for its rich vegetation, granite formations, and sandy loam soil, which has excellent water retention properties, ideal for terraced farming.

Over centuries, the ancestors of the Miao, Yao, Dong, and Han peoples skillfully adapted to the mountain's terrain, creating intricate terraced fields, in which this agricultural ingenuity has sustained generations with an abundant rice harvest.

-- BERNAMA