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Farmers deserve better forestry land rights

By Wang Bo (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-12-17 18:40

Chinese farmers have earned better protection of their rights in forestry land management, according to Li Yining, a leading economist with Peking University.

In the late 1970s, China introduced a system to contract out public-owned farmland and forest to private management. In June 2008, a new law was made to further institutionalize this practice.

China boasts the 5th largest forestry land area in the world with 174.9 million hectares covering 18.21 percent of its total territory.

Under the new law, the duration of forestry land contracts has extended from 30 years to 70 or more. The change, as Li was quoted by the Beijing-based China Business Journal, better protects forest farmers' interests.

Apart from generating income, foresters can also use their forestry land rights and the forest resources they have cultivated to get bank loans and even to form more sophisticated cooperation, the veteran economics professor said.