sustainability Article Reviewing the Progress in the Identification, Conservation and Management of China-Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (China-NIAHS) Wenjun Jiao and Qingwen Min * Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 11 August 2017; Accepted: 12 September 2017; Published: 22 September 2017 Abstract: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations launched a global partnership initiative for the conservation and adaptive management of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) in 2002. China is one of the first countries that responded to the GIAHS initiative, witnessed by the designation of Qingtian Rice-Fish Culture by FAO in June 2005. It is also the first country that identifies and conserves agricultural heritage systems at the national level, demonstrated by the initiation of China-Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (China-NIAHS) by Chinese Ministry of Agriculture in March 2012. In the past five years, progress on the identification, conservation and management of China-NIAHS has been widely achieved in China; however, challenges such as lack of adequate mastery of potential agricultural heritage systems, lack of local popularization of their concept and connotations, and lack of endogenous motives for their conservation and development are also in front of China. This paper reviewed the progress and discussed the challenges, aiming to help formulate suggestions for the future conservation and management of agricultural heritage systems and also to provide an opportunity for other countries to understand the nation’s efforts on the conservation and management of agricultural heritage systems. Keywords: agricultural heritage systems; GIAHS; China-NIAHS; identification; dynamic conservation; management 1. Introduction Today, a major challenge facing humanity is how to achieve sustainable agriculture that provides sufficient food and ecosystem services for both present and future generations. Modern agricultural systems, which are based on high technological inputs and oriented to maximizing profits, have been criticized as often being detrimental and nonviable when considered from social and ecological perspectives [1–3]. This realization has led experts to reflect on modern agricultural systems and look for help from traditional ones that have been developed and maintained by local farmers for centuries with ingenious practices that often result in both community food security and the conservation of ecosystem services [4–6]. These traditional agricultural systems are now re-examined and cherished by the modern society and some of them share a new, common name: Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS). Sustainability 2017, 9, 1698; doi:10.3390/su9101698 www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability Sustainability 2017, 9, 1698 2 of 14 The conservation and adaptive management of GIAHS is a global partnership initiative launched by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in 2002, in response to Sustainability 2017, 9, 1698 2 of 14 the global trends that undermine small-scale family agriculture and traditional agricultural systems [7]. Defined by FAO, GIAHS are remarkable land use systems and landscapes which are rich in globally Thesignificant conservation biological and adaptive diversity management evolving of from GIAHS the is co-adaptation a global partnership of ainitiative community launched with its environmentby Food and and Agriculture its needs Organization and aspirations (FAO) for of thesustainable United Nations development in 2002, in [8]. response Unlike to theconventional global heritages,trends GIAHS that undermine are living, small-scale evolving family systems agriculture of human and traditional communities agricultural in an systems intricate [7]. relationship Defined withby their FAO, environment, GIAHS are remarkable agricultural land landscape, use systems biophysical and landscapes and which wider are social rich in system globally [9,10]. significant Human biological diversity evolving from the co-adaptation of a community with its environment and its beings and their livelihood activities have continually adapted to the potentials and constraints of needs and aspirations for sustainable development [8]. Unlike conventional heritages, GIAHS are the environment and also shaped the landscape and the biological environment to different degrees. living, evolving systems of human communities in an intricate relationship with their environment, This agriculturalhas led to landscape,an accumulation biophysical of experiences and wider social over system generations, [9,10]. Human an increasing beings and range their livelihoodand depth of theiractivities knowledge have continuallysystems and adapted generally, to the potentials but not and necessarily, constraints ofa the complex environment and anddiverse also shaped range of livelihoodthe landscape activities, and often the biological closely integrated environment [11]. to different degrees. This has led to an accumulation of experiencesChina is one over of generations,the first countries an increasing that responded range and depth to the of GIAHS their knowledge initiative. systems In June and 2005, generally, Rice-Fish Culturebut notin necessarily,Qingtian County, a complex Zhejiang and diverse Province range of(F livelihoodigure 1) activities,was designated often closely as one integrated of the [first11]. six GIAHS pilotChina sites is one in ofthe the world first countries [12,13]. thatIn February responded 2009, to the the GIAHS start-up initiative. meeting In June for 2005, the Rice-Fishconservation and adaptiveCulture in management Qingtian County, of ZhejiangGIAHS China Province Rice-Fish (Figure1 )Culture was designated was held as onein Beijing. of the first This six marked GIAHS that the FAOpilot sitesGIAHS in the project world [ 12supported,13]. In February by Global 2009, theEnvi start-upronment meeting Facility for the (GEF) conservation formally and started adaptive up in management of GIAHS China Rice-Fish Culture was held in Beijing. This marked that the FAO GIAHS China [11]. With the help of FAO, a national framework for the GIAHS conservation and project supported by Global Environment Facility (GEF) formally started up in China [11]. With the management was formulated and established in China [13], which provided strong support not only help of FAO, a national framework for the GIAHS conservation and management was formulated for theand conservation established in Chinaand management [13], which provided of Rice-F strongish supportCulture notbut only also for for the the conservation exploration and and identificationmanagement ofof other Rice-Fish agricultural Culture but heritage also for the systems. exploration The and concept identification of ofNationally other agricultural Important Agriculturalheritage systems.Heritage The Systems concept (NIAHS) of Nationally was Important first put Agricultural forward in Heritage this framework. Systems (NIAHS) Specifically, was a nationallyfirst put accepted forward in system this framework. for recognition Specifically, of a NIAHS nationally was accepted demonstrated; system for recognition lessons and of NIAHS practices learnedwas from demonstrated; the promotion lessons andof the practices effective learned manageme from thent promotion of pilot sites of the were effective required management to be widely of disseminatedpilot sites wereto support required the to be ex widelypansion disseminated and up-scaling to support of theNIAHS; expansion and and the up-scaling creation of of NIAHS; a NIAHS networkand thewas creation suggested of a NIAHSin the framework network was [13]. suggested in the framework [13]. FigureFigure 1. Qingtian 1. Qingtian Rice-Fish Rice-Fish Culture Culture System. System. Note: Note: The photophoto was was provided provided by by Qingtian Qingtian Agriculture Agriculture Bureau.Bureau. In additionIn addition to project to project requirements, requirements, the the reason reason whywhy NIAHSNIAHS are are needed needed in Chinain China also also rests rests with with the endangeredthe endangered situation situation that that many many of of the the agricult agriculturalural heritageheritage systems systems have have fallen fallen into. into. Diversified Diversified traditionaltraditional farming farming systems systems havehave been been formed formed during during China’s longChina’s history long of agricultural history of production, agricultural production,adapting adapting well to various well naturalto various conditions natural across conditions its vast territory across its [14 vast]. These territory ingenious [14]. systems These exhibit ingenious systemsa multitude exhibit of valuesa multitude that are embeddedof values in ecologicalthat are and embedded environmental in advantages,ecological socialand andenvironmental cultural advantages,merits, including social and economy cultural and merits, livelihood, including research economy and education, and demonstrationlivelihood, research and promotion and education, [15]. demonstration and promotion [15]. It is only recently that the virtues of traditional agricultural systems have been recognized; nevertheless, many of them have been increasingly threatened by a Sustainability 2017, 9, 1698 3 of 14 It is only recently that the virtues of traditional agricultural systems have been recognized;