Development and Conservation of Agrodiversity by Small Farmers: A Case Study from Yunnan, Southwest China

Yunnan is the most both biodiverse region in China. An existing project of People, Land Management and Environmental Change of United Nations University aims to document the status of agrodiversity as a basis for meeting local needs, using Xishuangbanna and Baoshan as case studies. Studies reveal that a rich agrodiversity at levels of crop species and varieties, plant species in agricultural fields and diversified ecosystems have been developed and conserved through agricultural systems by small farmers. Social-economic influences on agrobiodiversity are quite complex, but land tenure, household income and farmer association have played an important role in management of agrodiversity.

Yunnan is the most both biodiverse region in China. An existing project of People, Land Management and Environmental Change of United Nations University aims to document the status of agrodiversity as a basis for meeting local needs, using Xishuangbanna and Baoshan as case studies. Studies reveal that a rich agrodiversity at levels of crop species and varieties, plant species in agricultural fields and diversified ecosystems have been developed and conserved through agricultural systems by small farmers. So...