| Project Detail |
The project proposes a transformational approach to modernizing the agriculture sector in Yichang Municipality of Hubei Province in a green and sustainable manner through (i) strengthened institutions, knowledge, and research; (ii) increased value addition and efficiency in agribusiness and food supply chains; (iii) reduced climate and environmental impacts of agricultural activities; and (iv) improved resilience of rural infrastructures.
Project Name Hubei Yichang Rural Green Development Project
Project Number 55128-001
Country / Economy China, Peoples Republic of
Project Status Approved
Project Type / Modality of Assistance Loan
The project proposes a transformational approach to modernizing the agriculture sector in Yichang Municipality of Hubei Province in a green and sustainable manner through (i) strengthened institutions, knowledge, and research; (ii) increased value addition and efficiency in agribusiness and food supply chains; (iii) reduced climate and environmental impacts of agricultural activities; and (iv) improved resilience of rural infrastructures.
Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy
A large portion of small-scale family farms lack the technical and financial capacity to invest in and improve their operations. Knowledge from agricultural institutions does not reach farmers, who fail to implement best practices and use modern and smart technologies. Further, there is limited interagency collaboration, with sometimes contradicting policies that change the incentives for farmers. All this causes underinvestment in family farms, with farms running as a secondary source of revenue at suboptimal efficiency. Agricultural practices in Yichang are inefficient and characterized by smallholder agricultural systems with low productivity, largely because of limited access to information and finance. Also, agricultural value chains are weak because of underdeveloped grading, processing, packing, storing, and marketing of products, as well as high post-harvest seasonal food losses, with about 5 million tons of fruit wasted every year in Hubei province because of limited access to cold storage facilities. Farmers also lack understanding of modern marketing and sales digital platforms, which limits their sales capacity to roadside stalls and traditional distributors.
Further, Yichang is in one of the most serious soil erosion regions in the PRC, which coupled with poor land management practices and seasonal high-intensity rainfall, causes soils to be easily erodible, particularly in high slope areas. The intensification of agriculture production systems driven by high volumes of inputs such as chemical fertilizers, synthetic pesticides, and irrigation water has generated large volumes of waste and excessive discharge of pollutants, which have contributed to soil and water contamination and environmental degradation. Large farming areas in Yichang still burn agricultural waste, contributing to damaging air pollution and GHG emissions. Further, Yichang is impacted by a range of climate hazards, including flooding and drought, particularly along tributaries of the Yangtze River. Agricultural productivity is at risk because of crop damage, heat stress, increased occurrence of pests, soil and water deterioration, and increased damages from extreme weather events and reduced water security.
Agricultural labor accounts for about 40% of total employment in the Yichang municipality, reaching up to 64% in Xingshan County. While women account for more than half of the workforce in the agriculture sector, a larger share of womens employment in agriculture is concentrated in low-skilled activities. Womens lower education levels, mobility constraints, and disproportionate burden of domestic and care work prevent them from obtaining better employment opportunities in the sector.
Impact
Rural green development in Yichang Municipality and the Yangtze River Economic Belt achieved |
