By Zhao Junchao, Cheng Yu, Yin Haodong & Ye Xingqing, Research Department of Rural Economy, DRC

Research Report, No.237, 2020 (Total 5981) 2020-9-30

Abstract: Poverty eradication through ecological conservation projects in ecologically fragile areas during poverty-alleviation campaign has not only improved local ecological environment, but also increased the income of poor farmers. However, research findings show that in some areas, the income of poor farmers still mainly depends on the outcomes resulting from government-backed projects such as engagement in afforestation work, ecological compensation, and public benefit jobs for forest protection. The ecological improvement has not brought endogenous income growth for local farmers. After achieving the decisive progress in poverty alleviation work, the focus of poverty alleviation through ecological conservation needs to be shifted to the development of ecological industries as soon as possible, and an endogenous development mechanism based on ecology needs to be established so as to generate benefits from ecological industries. At present, various areas have made positive attempts in this respect, such as the cultivation of cash trees and the development of forestry-based economy, the processing of distinctive forest products and rural eco-tourism. However, these projects are still in their infancy and there are many obstacles ahead. In the future, we need to summarize the successful experience of developing ecological industries in some areas, remove the obstacles to the development of ecological industries, accelerate the establishment of a long-term mechanism from “increasing green” to “increasing income”, and make ecological industries a sustainable source of income in these areas in the long run.

Keywords: achievement in poverty alleviation, ecological industries, the 14th Five-Year-Plan period (2021-2025)