Geese Rice, China

Project name: Geese Rice

Project location: Jilin Province, China

Website: http://www.baohudi.org/?p=1112

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Global-Protected-Area-Friendly-System-1767248333503742/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company-beta/10497433/

Project description:

Thousands of wild geese and other migrant bird fly over Jing-xin Wetland in Hunchun National Protected Area of China every Spring and Autumn. Jing-xin is a one of the important stops in their long journey from Siberia to the warm south.
Some farmers wish to protect the birds whilst the others want to deter and even hunt the birds because they eat out the rice from the farmer’s land.
GPAFS provide the solution balancing the farmers’ interest and the protection of the migrant birds. Our agriculture technicians train the farmers with the bio-farming technologies. We help them sale the rice in a price 50% higher than market price. The farms will protect the migrant birds from deterring or hunting during their journey.
During 2014-2016, ten farmers joined in “Geese Rice” program. PAFS helped them to sell 75,000 kg geese rice with a very attractive price. The farmers allow the migrant birds eat the rice freely in their farming land. Besides, the farmers practiced the bio-farming technologies and reduce the use of 2512 kg of chemical fertiliser, 20.6 kg of herbicides and 33.7 kg of pesticides compared with common farming practice. GPAFS returns 8% of its earnings (RMB 48000) to the local community to support the patrols in the protected area. The local community organized patrols approx. 2713 km and cleaned out 5966 the snares.
In 2015, Geese Rice was ranked as Top 5 Best Quality among 130 candidates in Chinese rice market.

Goal and purpose of the project:

Goal:
Combat the declining trend in global biodiversity, and to safeguarding the eco-security bottom line that matters the survival of mankind.

Purpose:
Fill the gap between the top-down nature conservation mechanism and the spontaneous protection behavior from people who live in the protected area. We help and support the PAs to improve their capacity of producing PA friendly products and services, provide market support and help them sale their products, and thereby, provide sustainable economic support to local community development and conservation work.

Motivation of the applicant / applicant team:

Amur tigers and Amur leopards are categorized as the most endangered spices worldwide. In 2011, they were captured in our camera in Hunchun National Protected Area for first time since 1949. Also in 2011, the massive illegal hunting and poaching of migrate birds were reported. A group of Chinese scientists gathered together and endeavored for a solution to protect these beautiful creatures and the ecosystem.
We develop a market-based approach to contribute both of the nature conservation and the sustainable development benefiting human wellbeing and environment surrounding.

Use of prize money

The prize money will used for two activities:

1. Duplication of geese rice model in other 3 villages in Jing-xin wetland
2. Develop 2-4 new green products in Hunchun National Protected Area aiming at the protection of Amur tigers and Amur leopards.