Partnerships

Although Gomeza Community used Self-drive to restore the forest reserve, the community attracted attention from government and non-governmental organisations. The partnerships led to provision of technical capacity building to the community on sivicultural aspects. Other insitutions also supported the community in their vision. This led to reduced resource need per institution to work with the community.

  • Accommodating
  • Cooperation
  • Joint planning

 

Prevent the duplication of efforts by close cooperation and joint planning

Building trust and improved networking are key elements of starting partnerships

Community Self-drive

The communities realised that they need to take actionin order achieve their dreams and support their ecosystem to retain its functions. They set up social structures and identified responsibilities in the form of positions and work plans. The community use volunteerism to carry out their duties nd drive the restoration efforts. They also formed their own by-laws to manage the Gomeza forest reserve, thereby adding not only social but also a regulatory framework set up to serve their needs.

  • Individual willingness
  • Working by-laws
  • Supportive local leadership (Traditional authority support)
  • Volunteering

Less financial inputs were needed to achieve great impacts

 

Community leading on conservation while government and other insitutions follow work well

 

Community-led initiatives more sustainable than a top-down approach

 

Holding activities to build capability and improve awareness

The ABS project has been widely promoted throughout Guangxi, with about 50 promotional activities, 20 training sessions and related meetings, and more than 10,000 participants online and offline, to help with Guangxi ABS legislation and benefit-sharing.

These activities not only enhance the capacity building of relevant personnel, but also raise public awareness of biodiversity conservation and benefit-sharing.

Public awareness of - and public support for - program activities ensures success.

Promote benefit-sharing between enterprises and local communities/residents

Guangxi negotiated and implemented agreements on access to genetic resources and related traditional knowledge and benefit-sharing of Siraitia grosvenorii and Camellia nitidissima in Guilin and Fangchenggang, promoting the signing of more than 10 benefit-sharing agreements between enterprises and farmers in demonstration areas through measures such as value-insured recovery, benefit sharing, technology training, and enhanced resource protection. From 2019 to 2021, the campaign benefited more than 5,000 farmers in the major producing areas of Siraitia grosvenorii and Camellia nitidissima, helping nearly 300 poor households escape poverty.

 

From 2020 to 2021, the demonstration enterprise Guilin Monk Fruit Siraitia Grosvenorii Biotechnology Inc. has increased the returns from purchasing and recovering Siraitia grosvenorii by 50% year-on-year.

It is necessary to negotiate and implement access and benefit-sharing agreements for genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge.

Protect biogenetic resources and related traditional knowledge

The protection for wild genetic resources has been formalized, and 20 protection sites for chrysantha have been constructed; guidance is provided for demonstration enterprises to expand the nursery of Siraitia grosvenorii and Camellia nitidissima, which cover an area of 2,000 square metres and 500 square metres respectively.

The project helped to increase the area allocated for growing seedlings of Siraitia grosvenorii and Camellia nitidissima genetic resources, and planted Camellia nitidissima in the wild.

Reducing the utilization of wild resources is key to project success.

Conduct a baseline survey on biological genetic resources and related traditional knowledge

The project team investigated, collected, and summarized the protection, development, utilization, and benefit-sharing of 30 exemplar genetic resources in Guangxi, carried out case investigations and research on the development and utilization of traditional knowledge related to genetic resources of five ethnic minorities in Guangxi Zhuang, including Zhuang, Yao, Maonan, Mulao and Jing ethnic groups.

The establishment of a database for biogenetic resources and their related traditional knowledge in Guangxi, together with the Survey on the Status Quo of Biogenetic Resources and Their Development and Utilization in Guangxi and the Management Requirements, Guangxi Traditional Knowledge Case Study Report and Guangxi Traditional Knowledge Cataloging Report.

The provision of scientific guidance is required for the proper protection, development, utilization and sharing of biogenetic resources in Guangxi.

Promote the implementation of benefit-sharing policy

On September 24, 2021, with the consent of the People's Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the Measures for the Administration of Access to Biological Genetic Resources and Related Traditional Knowledge and Benefit Sharing (for Trial Implementation) was promulgated and implemented by the Department of Ecology and Environment of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, which becomes the first provincial regulation on access to biological genetic resources and related traditional knowledge and benefit-sharing in China.

Access to biological genetic resources and related traditional knowledge and benefit-sharing in Guangxi have been standardized and legalized.

The consent of governmental bodies and local communities are necessary to ensure success.

Improve the construction of the access and benefit-sharing system for biogenetic resources

Guangxi establishes a cross-sectoral coordination and cooperation mechanism and a stakeholder coordination mechanism.  A management mechanism for access and benefit sharing of biogenetic resources is established under the comprehensive governance of the department in charge of ecology and environment and the supervision of the departments related to development and reform, agriculture and rural areas, forestry, etc. The project management is carried out at the provincial, municipal, and county levels so joint efforts can be made in ensuring the access and benefit-sharing of biological heritage resources.

Experts from 31 universities, research institutes, and other relevant units, such as Minzu University of China, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Guangxi University, were hired to form a provincial technical expert team to provide consultation and technical support for the access and benefit-sharing of biogenetic resources in Guangxi.

It is necessary to improve the construction of the access and benefit-sharing system for biogenetic resources.

Project Management Office of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
Improve the construction of the access and benefit-sharing system for biogenetic resources
Promote the implementation of benefit-sharing policy
Conduct a baseline survey on biological genetic resources and related traditional knowledge
Protect biogenetic resources and related traditional knowledge
Promote benefit-sharing between enterprises and local communities/residents
Holding activities to build capability and improve awareness