Reaping green gains

For villager Sheng Yiwu, what goes on in the backyard always seems to be on his mind, even when he is asleep at night.

That is because his livelihood depends on the 11 earthen huts behind his living quarters.

"I have to make sure the temperature, humidity and other conditions inside the buildings are just right," said Sheng, 56.

For at least six generations, Sheng's family has been maintaining "ginger pavilions" – typically two-story structures of earthen walls and tiled roofs heated by burning wood for an optimal environment to store freshly harvested ginger, as part of the first few steps to process the popular plant for consumption.

The constant care and attention Sheng gives to the crops reflect local residents' pride in the pillar agricultural sector.

China is a major producer of ginger for the world and here in Tongling of East China's Anhui province, people have long cultivated an indigenous type of the plant.

In November 2023, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization included the Tongling White Ginger Plantation System on its list of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems, in line with what it recognizes as agricultural practices amid stunning landscapes "that create livelihoods in rural areas while combining biodiversity, resilient ecosystems and tradition and innovation in a unique way".

Since 2005, the FAO has designated at least 86 systems in 26 countries as the agricultural heritage sites. China ranked first in the world in the number of the heritage systems by 2023, with its total of 22 entries.

In July 2022, President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the World Conference on Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems, saying that it is the common responsibility of humankind to protect agricultural heritage. China has actively responded to the program initiated by the FAO and the country has been protecting and inheriting agricultural heritage, Xi highlighted.

In Tongling, the earliest record of its white ginger can be traced to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), boasting a cultivation history of more than two millennia, according to the FAO.

Tongling residents "make ingenious use of local resources and pay respect to the theories and methods of ecological agriculture ... the unique ginger cultural landscape that has emerged from Tongling's characteristic natural environment, climate, and soil contributes to the diversity of farming culture worldwide", it said.

The area's "microtopographical features of ginger ridges on high plots … constitute a unique landscape of ginger fields. Ginger is interspersed with rice, vegetables, and rivers as in a mosaic picture. Together, they form an amazing hill-field landscape with ginger fields/paddy fields", the organization cited in Tongling's UN listing.

"A characteristic ginger culture has emerged from time-honored ginger cultivation in Tongling, blending itself into all aspects of local life … A ginger-pavilion opening ceremony is held every year … and people sing pavilion-opening chants," according to the FAO.

Local residents are now leveraging their ginger-growing heritage with their latest global accolade, combining deep agricultural traditions with green innovation for the next stages of sustainable development.

Li Jingming, president of the White Ginger Research Association in Tongling, said its main ginger production involves more than 2,000 households that can tend to 0.27 hectares of farmland each.

"Our white ginger, prized for its crisp taste, tender flesh and nutritional and medicinal benefits, is a specialty item and its production scale is a fraction of the common yellow ginger, but the UN listing is set to boost our presence significantly and give us a major platform to promote our product," Li said.

The industry will need to focus on growing its farming expertise to meet the latest green standards, retain talent and fuel interest in its main crop, especially among younger residents, and build a strong brand leveraging global best practices, among its many pressing priorities, he said.

Yao Jigui, a researcher at the municipal bureau of agricultural and rural affairs, said one of the main challenges of cultivating Tongling white ginger has been the need to fend off plant diseases and pests in line with green farming.

"Our tradition of rotating other crops such as rice on our ginger plots, shaded naturally with thatch, shows the wisdom of our ancestors in maximizing our yields," Yao said.

"We're now studying how we can effectively build on these sustainable practices, such as protecting and improving soil quality."

The growing global recognition of Tongling white ginger will help spur the public and private sectors to work toward the development of the crop, including raising its quality and demand, said Cui Guangqing, deputy director of the municipal bureau of agricultural and rural affairs.

White ginger cultivation in Tongling is already set to hit over 450 hectares in 2024, an increase of 11.5 percent year-on-year and covering a record planting area, latest industry figures showed.

A high-quality development plan for the ginger industry aims to grow a cultivation hub for the crop to cover more than 660 hectares by 2026, with an output value of the whole industrial chain reaching 2 billion yuan ($280 million), according to local authorities.

Tongling plans to achieve a relatively concentrated and contiguous planting area of over 1,300 hectares of white ginger with an output value of 4 billion yuan by 2028, according to the industry road map.

Measures rolled out to grow the sector include transforming and upgrading 2,600 square meters of seed preservation and germination facilities, which can collect and store 150 metric tons of Tongling white ginger seeds, while technological advances will cover information-based and intelligent processing facilities, and new atmospheric-controlled and cold storage capabilities.

Tongling's ginger-related businesses set to reap the benefits of these advances include the Jinfengyuan brand, which taps a major production area covering nearly 147 hectares, cultivating white ginger and related crops with an annual output value of up to 100 million yuan.

Jinfengyuan includes more than 20 product categories offered at home and abroad, with its focus on product quality extending to research and development helping achieve 13 patents, nine domestic trademarks, three copyright labels and other industry benchmarks.

"Beyond the traditional pickled ginger products, our new offerings include beverages, with marketing and R&D strategies pointing to much potential extending abroad, such as Southeast Asia and South Korea," said Qian Xueqin, who heads the group behind the brand.

"We're at the nascent stages of growth but the UN accolade, coupled with the sector's high-tech push in farming and production processes, and local government and policy support, should position us well for the opportunities ahead," she said.

Jin Rulin, who is accredited as a provincial-level inheritor of Tongling white ginger production skills, said the area's rich farming heritage continues to be its calling card.

"We must treasure this special crop tied closely to our lifestyle and linked to every resident in one way or another," said Jin, who also runs a company producing Tongling's ginger products that have collected multiple industry awards for helping to preserve and promote the local produce and interest related to its traditions and techniques.

Bao Shuangjiu, 60, who is in Tongling's Dayuan village heading a cooperative involving 30 farming households that can reap 10 tons of ginger a year, said his area is at the traditional heart of white ginger cultivation.

"We follow sustainable farming practices that have stood the test of time, including the changing climate; for example, the yield this year may be affected by irregular dry and wet weather conditions, but the support from the cooperative means farmers can readily face these challenges," Bao said.

"What's crucial is keeping young residents involved. We need them to help us in the next steps of our development," he said.

To that effect, Dayuan villager Hu Tingting has returned to her roots with her husband Cheng Ling, becoming at the forefront of young entrepreneurs heading home and promoting Tongling ginger products with innovative approaches, such as riding on the latest digital and technological trends.

Their ginger-related food, drink and fragrance products, under the label Shanli Wenhua, helped rake in 5 million yuan in a year, with e-commerce and livestreaming channels contributing significantly to their revenue.

The couple's business is attracting a growing clientele offline and online, with nearly 10,000 fans on social media platform Xiaohongshu alone.

"About 40 percent of our customers are young, aged below 35," said Hu, 32.

The duo also opened a restaurant, right below the house where Hu grew up and overlooking a picturesque pond beside her family white ginger plot, offering novel dishes themed on the specialty produce that have proven to be a hit with diners who bring in 1.4 million yuan in revenue a year.

"We want to give our customers and visitors a full, immersive experience of our white ginger culture," said Cheng, 34.

"The local government has also been very supportive, providing infrastructure such as roads and improved landscaping, so that more people can enjoy our attractions," Hu said.

"All of us here in Tongling are eager to share the natural bounty of our white ginger."

Contact the writers at alexishooi@chinadaily.com.cn