China
"Swaps Grain for Ecology"
After three years of experimentation, China
has decided to launch its project to return reclaimed farmland
back to forest on an overall scale. Ecologists say that the
results of experiments show that the concept of "swapping
grain for ecology" is the best model for China's ecological
construction. According to the State Forestry Bureau, in 2002
China plans to convert 2.2 million hectares of farmland back
to forest, and reforest 2.6 million hectares of barren mountainsides
and wasteland.
This ecological construction project is to
be implemented in areas that have suffered serious ecological
deterioration. With its vast grain reserves and a reasonable
financial input, the Chinese government hopes to convince farmers
of the benefits of planting trees on hillsides and sanded plots,
thereby returning them to their original wooded state.
