UN recognises three Chinese women for rural contributions

Three Chinese women have been named at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) awards in Rome for their contributions to agrifood systems and rural development.

Dong Minfang, Yu Jinxiu and Yin Yuzhen all have their own unique backgrounds and stories: yet their shared mission towards transforming rural lives has earned them global recognition at the FAO's 100 Women Heroes initiative. 

CGTN's Hermione Kitson attended the awards in Rome to hear their stories first-hand.

Smart agriculture for small-holders

Based in Yueyang County, central China's Hunan Province, Dong Minfang has led efforts to expand mechanised grain production and champion smallholder farmers. In her role as president of the Fengrui Agricultural Machinery Professional Cooperative, she has modernised farming practices in Hunan's rice fields, helping small-scale farmers retain profits. 

Speaking to CGTN, Dong said how "through smart agriculture, we can increase efficiency and reduce costs, so that young people can show their value. This will also attract more young people to return home."

The transformational powers of traditional medicine 

For Yu Jinxiu, change started with a single plant: mugwort. Dedicated to moxibustion, the traditional Chinese medicine practice that involves burning dried mugwort (known as moxa) near or directly on the skin, Yu took her skills back to her hometown in Hubei Province to establish a vocational training school. 

Teaching thousands the practice of moxibustion, Yu has transformed the lives and careers of women across the province.

Speaking to CGTN at the awards event, Yu said the recognition was "the biggest meaning of my career, and it is precisely because of this that I am seen by the United Nations. 

"I will use the influence of this award to expand training programs. At the same time, I want to build more employment platforms to help women realize their own values and live a better life."

Tree-planting over 27 years

Perhaps the most well-known of the three, Yin Yuzhen has drawn headlines across the world for her decades spent planting trees in China’s Mu Us Sandy Land. Her work to combat desertification has restored nearly 5,000 hectares around her home, with more than eight million trees planted across the area.

Yin's fame also comes from her unique relationship with Ronald Sakolsky, an American who was working as a teacher in Henan Province during the 1990s, when he heard of the tireless work being undertaken to fight desertification in Inner Mongolia. 

Sakolsky raised and donated $5,000 to support her tree-planting efforts, which allowed Yin to purchase saplings that grew into a thriving forest of over 50,000 trees. 

This year, those efforts were rewarded in more ways than one: After tracking Sakolsky down, Yin invited him to Inner Mongolia, leading to an emotional reunion in August at the Ordos Ejin Horo International Airport, after 27 years apart.

Alongside her reward, she received special recognition and standing ovation for her work in transforming the barren land of China's north.

From traditional knowledge to digital innovation, the stories of Dong Minfang, Yu Jinxiu and Yin Yuzhen show how women have the power to transform the world around them.