Chinese Women Honored at FAO for Pioneering Rural Revitalization and Agrifood Leadership

Par Xie Yahong, People's Daily

Recently, applause filled the Plenary Hall at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome as three Chinese women were honored for their exceptional achievements in rural development.

A short documentary played on the giant screen, chronicling a woman who has spent more than 40 years fighting desertification. When Yin Yuzhen, the film's protagonist, stepped onto the stage to receive her award, the audience rose in a standing ovation.

Ronald Sakolsky, an American friend of Yin's who traveled to Rome for the occasion, was visibly moved. Choking back tears, he praised Yin's unwavering dedication and urged everyone to plant trees and work together to protect the environment.

The emotional moment unfolded at a ceremony honoring the FAO's 100 Women Heroes in Agrifood Systems and Rural Development. From 609 nominees across 131 member countries, 100 individuals were selected. Alongside Yin Yuzhen, Chinese honorees Dong Minfang and Yu Jinxiu made the list, giving China the highest number of recipients of any nation.

Each woman has advanced rural development through distinct pathways. For more than four decades, Yin has worked tirelessly to halt sand encroachment in the Mu Us Desert within the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Dong Minfang left a lucrative urban career to return to her hometown, where she champions grain production, promotes agricultural mechanization, and boosts smallholder incomes. Yu Jinxiu has dedicated over two decades to popularizing Qichun moxibustion therapy—a nationally recognized intangible cultural heritage—training more than 30,000 practitioners and expanding the local mugwort industry to create jobs for women and underserved groups.

Despite their different methods, the three share a common mission: restoring degraded land, strengthening food security, and uplifting communities through perseverance and innovation.

At the ceremony, FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu noted that women play a critical role across agrifood systems, from ensuring food security and managing natural resources to advancing rural development and strengthening community resilience.

Across China, the vital role women play in agriculture is reflected in countless real-life stories. Women have been both a cornerstone of China's poverty alleviation efforts and a driving force in rural revitalization, accounting for roughly half of the nearly 100 million people lifted out of poverty.

According to data from the All-China Women's Federation, women made up more than half of those engaged in family farming in 2023, spending more time on average each year on agricultural operations than men. Their continuous labor underscores their foundational role in rural economies.

These outcomes are supported by targeted institutional measures. By the end of 2020, 10.21 million impoverished women and rural female leaders had completed vocational skills training. Over five million women escaped poverty through initiatives ranging from crop cultivation and livestock rearing to handicrafts, domestic services, and e-commerce.

More than 450 billion yuan (about $67.48 billion) in guaranteed microloans and poverty-alleviation credit has been disbursed to women in need, helping 8.7 million impoverished women increase their incomes through entrepreneurship.

From combating desertification through afforestation to building enterprises in agricultural processing, rural women have transformed themselves from economically disadvantaged villagers into catalysts of rural prosperity. They have not only improved their own lives but also generated enduring momentum for sustainable development.

The Outline for Women's Development in China (2021–2030) calls for further efforts to enhance rural women's skills and support their participation in agricultural modernization. As these supporting policies take effect, the protection of rural women's rights continues to strengthen.

The achievements of rural Chinese women are also gaining international recognition. They bring field-tested knowledge to the global stage, offering the world a firsthand look at China's progress in poverty reduction and rural revitalization.

In doing so, they share not only China's story, but also proven approaches that other developing countries can adapt, giving grassroots solutions a broader reach in global development.

The UN recognition of the three Chinese women is a testament to the contributions of countless rural women across China who remain deeply rooted in their communities, opening new chapters in the nation's rural story.