Guizhou Province Relies on Sustainable Farming Administration to Shake Off Poverty

SMU Assistant Professor of Political Science John Donaldson, who spent significant time in comparative research on the farmlands in the Chinese provinces of Guizhou and Yunnan in recent years, affirmed Guizhou's development model. He commented that Guizhou's approach of overcoming stony desertification by planting grass on farmland to feed sheep and growing Chinese prickly ash to help lift farmers out of poverty is both creative and sustainable. The reason why such measures are effective is that the government has created opportunities for the farmers to participate directly in small-scale, low-tech and generally labour-intensive economic activities.