Poor small farmers and herders from ethnic minorities in western Sichuan Province recently saw their livelihoods improve in concert with environmental protection initiatives that ultimately led them to discover a greater variety of food sources in the region where they lived. The improvements were a result of an FAO technical cooperation project (TCP) that developed an integrated multidisciplinary methodology for China's farmer field schools (FFS). At the same time, the project increased the institutional capacity of the schools to assist farmers and herders over the long term.

The TCP responded to unexpected results from China's effort to strengthen environmental protection in the area. Because of those efforts, arable farmland declined by 37 percent when the government began restoring arable land into forests and grasslands.
An environmentally motivated ban on collecting certain wild Chinese traditional herbs also put an end to a major source of income for many farmers and herders. Poor ethnic small farm communities were caught in a dilemma between conserving resources, or accepting lower incomes and increasing food shortages.

The dilemma was resolved when local farm communities learned how to manage agro-biodiversity and to appreciate the value of the rich biological diversity that exists in much of western Sichuan. The Farmer Field Schools developed comprehensive solutions that enabled farmers to grow more barley and vegetables in the highland areas. The FFS also introduced on-farm cultivation of traditional medicinal herbs and got rural villages to develop their own biodiversity action plans to conserve agro-biodiversity. The project led to the discovery of 100 plant and 13 animal species, including 32 species for food and 24 that generated additional cash income and really improved the quality of rural life. Of the 200 medicinal herbs in the project area, 79 were recognized and used by the local people. As a result, the food security and livelihoods of poor, ethnic minorities in western Sichuan greatly enhanced without harming the environment and agrobiodiversity.

Because agricultural support services were strengthened by the project, it was possible to establish demonstration gardens in the region that grew 400 seedlings of Chinese Rhubarb and 550 seedlings of Qin Jiao a herb used in Chinese medicine. A germplasm garden with 20 different species was also set up. The seedling nurseries provided generous quantities of herbs for use in traditional Chinese medicine.

The capacity of extension workers and village groups to evaluate recommended technologies in a participatory manner was increased by the project when thirty extension workers graduated from a six-week training course where they learned integrated pest management, experimental design, team building, facilitating skills and good field practices.

The project also had a significant impact on minority ethnic groups in Sichuan Province who lagged far behind other farmers because it could be replicated elsewhere in China to promote socio-economic development among minority ethnic groups that have so far failed to share the benefits of China's impressive economic performance over the last three decades.

* TCP/CPR/3204 (D): Enhancing food security and improving livelihoods in concert with environmental protection for farmers and herders in poverty-stricken ethnic minority areas of western Sichuan province.