Collaborative Development Project of Guanba
Challenges and Objectives
At the crux of rural-environmental development, the nature education industry has emerged as a new community-based model of eco-tourism, which enables villagers to transform their indigenous knowledge for conservation into income opportunities and, on a collective level, revitalizes and monetizes rural cultural and ecological heritages for sustainably financing village-run conservation.
Collaboration Partners and Roles
The Shanshui Conservation Center guides Guanba Village in rural revitalization, covering ecological conservation, economic development, education, and governance. They facilitate learning and technical training and partner with companies for sustainable circular economies.
Ant Forest by AliPay generates funds through user participation to support Guanba Village's ecological projects. The program also promotes environmental education by raising awareness about forest significance and individual actions in combating climate change.
The Village Autonomy Committee of Guanba leads and represents the community in collaborative efforts, participating in project discussions and decisions. It closely collaborates with stakeholders for successful conservation and development.
The Guanba Beekeeping Professional Cooperative promotes sustainable beekeeping, contributing to biodiversity conservation and generating income through honey production.
The Wuren Walnut Professional Cooperative specializes in walnut cultivation, employing sustainable practices for economic growth and member livelihood improvement.
The Guanba Tourism Cooperative focuses on developing and promoting tourism, integrating nature education, and providing services for income generation in the village.
Revitalisation Activities
Creation of New Products: The project has spurred the creation of innovative products, exemplified by the Apis cerana honeybee and Wuren walnut industries. This has resulted in the production of high-quality honey and walnuts, positioned and marketed as eco-friendly products.
Upgrading Processing Activities: A key aspect involves enhancing processing activities within the village. This includes improving techniques for processing honey, walnuts, and other agricultural products, thereby elevating their quality and value.
Offering New Services, Such as Tourism: Guanba Village has established a tourism cooperative to provide new services to visitors. By promoting the village's natural and cultural attractions, the initiative attracts tourists, offering opportunities for residents to engage in tourism-related activities such as homestays, guided tours, and cultural experiences.
Conserving plant and animal species: The project focuses on the conservation of plant and animal species, particularly those of ecological importance. This involves habitat restoration and protection efforts, promoting biodiversity conservation, and implementing measures to mitigate threats to local flora and fauna. Conservation activities may include habitat monitoring, wildlife surveys, and the establishment of protected areas or conservation zones.
Product Promotion and Marketing: Emphasizing visibility, the project actively promotes and markets Guanba Village's eco-friendly agricultural products, including honey, walnuts, and medicinal herbs. Through branding, packaging, and marketing campaigns, the aim is to reach a broader customer base and increase product sales.
Revitalisation Outcome
The core of a sustainable rural collective economy lies in leveraging local resource advantages and selecting suitable ecological cooperative societies. This approach not only protects precious natural resources but also enables the "natural capital" of the local area to experience significant growth through the positive interaction between economic development and environmental protection, ensuring sustained benefits for the villagers. Guanba Village focuses on industries such as Apis cerana honeybee, Wuren walnuts, cold-water fish, and medicinal herbs cultivation, as well as nature education. Among them, the Apis cerana honeybee and Wuren walnut industries have been developed through a combination of companies, cooperatives, and individual farmers, contributing to the growth of the collective economy. The villagers have received a total of 160,000 yuan in dividends from Apis cerana beekeeping, with 40,000 yuan already returned to the village for the purchase of villagers' medical insurance. The cold-water fish breeding and release project adopts a collective economic model of "unified management by the Village Autonomy Committee, specialized patrolling by a patrol team, and collective benefits for all". The current valuation of the bred cold-water fish is around 200,000 yuan, with 80% distributed to the farmers and 20% allocated for protection. From 2018 to 2020, Guanba Village conducted a total of 17 nature education activities, with over 500 individuals participating, generating an income of approximately 140,000 yuan. In 2017, Guanba Village distributed a total of 83,700 yuan in asset income dividends, equivalent to an average of 250 yuan per person.
This is the abridged version of a case prepared by AIRI Fellow Haiming Wu. For further information, please email Tsinghua University’s China Institute for Rural Studies at cirs@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn.