Anji gains intl recognition for sustainable development of tea industry

Anji county is named an Eco-Friendly Low-Carbon Tea Plantation Demonstration Base by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. [Photo/Tide News]

Anji county in Huzhou, Zhejiang province, was honored with the designation of an Eco-Friendly Low-Carbon Tea Plantation Demonstration Base by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations on March 22 at the 7th China Tea Industry and Cultural Tourism Conference in Anji.

The recognition is part of the FAO's One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative for Chinese tea, aimed at promoting eco-friendly, low-carbon cultivation techniques to propel the sustainable development of China's tea industry and offer a "Chinese solution" for global sustainable agriculture.

Anji has been prioritizing green development. The county has systematically advanced projects such as eco-friendly tea gardens, low-carbon tea initiatives, and digital empowerment, fostering a comprehensive green development system for the tea industry.

At Yingyuan Family Farm in Anji's Lujia village, tea fields and lush landscapes make for picturesque scenery. Innovative practices are employed, such as planting white clover to suppress weeds and interplanting trees like yew and camphor to enhance soil and reduce carbon emissions.

Xu Ying, an official of Anji's bureau of agriculture and rural affairs, highlighted efforts to minimize greenhouse gas emissions through precise nutrient management and clean, energy-efficient processing.

Anji has established eco-friendly low-carbon tea gardens covering over 330 hectares, with 114 certified green tea companies and 11 certified eco-friendly low-carbon tea gardens.