The Qingyuan Forest-Mushroom Co-culture System – which is unique to Qingtian county, in Lishui city in East China' Zhejiang province – was recognized as being among Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems, or GIAHS, according to a list unveiled at a meeting in Rome, Italy, on Nov 4.

This site is the first in the international edible mushroom sector. With this latest addition to the GIAHS list, China now has 19 such systems, the most in the world.

The Chinese system – known for short as QFMCS – is based on mushroom cultivation through the rational use of forest resources by farmers who mainly grow mushrooms and goes back thousands of years. It is an agroforestry system in a high mountainous region, focusing on sustainable forest management, the development of the mushroom industry and the cyclical use of resources.

Through forest conservation, mushroom cultivation and agricultural production, locals have achieved food and livelihood security – and created a forest and mushroom co-culture technique system of harmonious co-existence between humans and nature.

This involves a complete cultivation technique evolution chain from the Duohua method – chopping a small slit into a fallen tree – to wood logging and materials substitution methods. This technique is said to show the world a shining example of green agricultural development and sustainable development.

Last year, the total value of edible mushrooms output in Qingyuan hit 4.5 billion yuan ($707.34 million). More than 70,000 people are employed by the industry.

Moving forwards, plans are for Qingyuan county to continue to focus on the protection of its edible mushroom resources and ecological system and the inheritance of its farming culture. The aim is for it to become an even better example of agricultural heritage protection, according Tian Jianhui, head of the county.