12. Policies and Measures of Chinese Local Government on Grain-for-Green Policy and Desertification Control

To reduce soil erosion and ecological degradation and improve land quality, in 1998 China initiated the state-funded project “Grain-for-Green” in the north, northwest and southwest of the country. This project of converting steep cultivated land to forestland and grassland is one of the most important initiatives for developing western inland regions. To make the project more effective, local governments have established certain policies and measures. These include improvement of existing policies and measures in different regions, establishment of assessment and incentive systems, registration and certification for land use, and development of guidelines for assistance funds and maintenance of past achievements. It was found that the project based on these measures had positive ecological effects (amount of land converted and afforested, ecosystem productivity, water and soil conservation, and pollution reduction) and socioeconomic effects (alleviation of poverty, aid to farmers in changing their income structure by shifting from farming to other activities). These are helpful to both farmers and local governments.