"Returning Forestry to Farming"? Originally, it was a pseudo concept type | cultivated land | concept

Since the beginning of this year, some parts of China have made corrections to the illegal occupation of arable land for planting trees and afforestation within their jurisdiction, requiring rectification and restoration of farmland and grain cultivation. Some online self media have coined a concept called "returning farmland to forests" when reporting on this phenomenon, and compared it to the "returning farmland to forests" policy previously introduced by the country.

The literal concept of "returning farmland to forests" has been widely circulated online, and it sounds very catchy and corresponds to the previous policy of "returning farmland to forests" introduced by the country. As a result, many people also regard the jingle "returning farmland to forests" as a national policy, and "spread false rumors", saying that the national policy has changed. In the past, "returning farmland to forests" was carried out, and now "returning farmland to forests" is carried out. It is a policy that changes day after day, "turning over Shaobing (Baked cake in griddle)", and so on, and so on.

If you think this way, you are being "brought with a rhythm", which is a big mistake. Today, a reporter from Xinhua News Agency's "Qianbi Tower" will review relevant national policies with you to understand how the harmful concept of "returning forests to farmland" has become popular and where the problem lies.

On May 26, 2023, wheat was planted on reclaimed land in the Yellow River Beach area of Xiaoli Street, Changqing District, Jinan City, Shandong Province. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhu Zheng

Let's first talk about the well-known concept of "returning farmland to forests".

In fact, "returning farmland to forests" is a common saying, and the complete concept is "returning farmland to forests and grasslands".

In 1999, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council made a major decision to "return farmland to forests and grasslands" with a focus on the overall sustainable development of the economy and society. Since the implementation of the policy of returning farmland to forests and grasslands, significant achievements have been made in improving the ecological environment and building ecological civilization.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China has attached great importance to the work of returning farmland to forests and grasslands. In 2014, a new round of the project was launched. According to the approved plan for returning farmland to forests and grasslands by the State Council, the land plots for returning farmland to forests and grasslands are strictly limited to slopes above 25 degrees, steep terraced fields, important water source areas with slopes of 15-25 degrees, severely desertified farmland, and severely polluted farmland.

After nearly a decade of efforts, the land plots that meet the conditions for returning farmland approved by the State Council, have the willingness of farmers to return farmland, and can reach a consensus among departments have been basically constructed.

In 2022, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, and others jointly issued a notice on further improving policy measures to consolidate the achievements of returning farmland to forests and grasslands. The notice clearly states that the arrangement for the new task of returning farmland to forests and grasslands will be temporarily postponed. At present, the focus of the "returning farmland to forests and grasslands" work has shifted to consolidating existing construction achievements and strengthening rigid constraints, and such plots are not within the scope of farmland restoration.

The sorting out of this timeline indicates that the national policy of returning farmland to forests and grasslands is consistent. For those plots that have already been "converted from farmland to forests and grasslands" according to the policy, the policy is also clear, "not within the scope of farmland restoration", so naturally there is no problem of "policy turning".

On May 24, 2023, farmers planted rice seedlings in a reclaimed terraced field in Lianyun Village, Lianhe Town, Youxi County, Fujian Province. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Lin Shan

The reporter from "Qianbi Tower" has reviewed and verified the relevant policy and regulatory documents issued by the country in recent years, but has not found any expression about "returning forests to farmland".

So, what is the hot topic of "returning forests to farmland" on the internet?

The investigation by reporters found that the term "returning forests to farmland" is mainly a general term used by some self media to refer to the phenomenon of "planting trees to plant crops", which is a simplified and generalized "media language", rather than a policy concept that is defined rigorously and introduced according to legal procedures. In practice, some grassroots governments, in order to facilitate publicity and understanding, also hastily quoted this term, causing this imprecise concept to spread.

According to the Office of the Central Rural Work Leading Group, the so-called "returning forests to farmland" rumored by netizens about "planting trees to plant grain" actually refers to the restoration of grain cultivation on land illegally occupied for afforestation, that is, "rectifying and restoring farmland illegally occupied". "rectifying and restoring farmland" is a more accurate and scientific concept than "returning forests to farmland".

Whether it is "returning farmland to forests and grasslands" or "illegally occupying farmland for rectification and re cultivation", they are major decisions made to coordinate food security, farmland protection, and ecological security. In terms of land type, implementation scope, and policy boundaries, they are clear and there is no cross overlap.

Simply referring to the current measures for restoring farmland in various regions as "returning farmland to forests" and forcibly linking them with the "returning farmland to forests and grasslands" policy is a stigmatized misunderstanding and misreading of policies for protecting farmland and ensuring food security, which can easily lead the public to believe that policies are constantly changing and require clarification.

We must firmly support and actively promote the rectification and restoration of illegal occupation of arable land for afforestation, so as to restore the land to arable land and carry out normal food production; We must firmly oppose and strictly restrict the illegal activities of destroying forests for farmland and changing land use in ecologically fragile areas within the ecological protection red line, and implement the requirements for the construction of ecological protection zones.

The correction and suspension of the above two phenomena are consistent at the national policy level. The rectification and correction of illegal occupation of arable land and permanent basic farmland afforestation is a rectification and correction of past illegal occupation of arable land and permanent basic farmland afforestation. "Returning forests to farmland" is a misreading of strengthening farmland protection and use control.

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council have made it clear that both the Party and the government are responsible for protecting arable land, strictly implementing the special protection system for permanent basic farmland, strictly controlling the use of arable land, strictly adhering to the red line of 1.8 billion mu of arable land, resolutely curbing "non agriculturalization" and effectively preventing "non grainification".

Resolutely promote the rectification and restoration of illegal occupation of farmland for afforestation and greening, and orderly restore some of the high-quality plain farmland that has been unreasonably drained in the past, ensuring that 1.8 billion mu of farmland truly lives up to its name, in order to effectively ensure the food security of the Chinese people.

The policy of rectifying and restoring farmland illegally occupied is very strong, and it is necessary to prevent and correct possible deviations in understanding, comprehension, and operation. We must grasp the timing and efficiency of our work, leave enough time for the transition period, and strictly prohibit infringing on the interests of farmers.

The principle of using good farmland and grain is the most important, and the rectification and restoration of farmland should be based on different situations and classified policies, resolutely stopping new additions and disposing of existing stocks prudently. We cannot rush to achieve results or simplify the solution to the stock problem. We must adopt a one size fits all approach, which will cause chaos and complaints.

Everything should be based on reality, taking into account factors such as the potential for farmland restoration and the willingness of farmers. The annual farmland restoration plan should be reasonably arranged, and the farmland should be restored in a planned, targeted, and rhythmic manner. We cannot force grassroots work to simplify tasks and targets regardless of reality.

Especially, it is necessary to fully respect the wishes of farmers, and no coercive measures shall be taken. It is strictly prohibited to forcibly pull out seedlings, cut trees, fill pits and level ponds, regardless of the objective reality that fruit trees are in their prime, trees are in their mature stage, and fish ponds are in their harvest season.

Returning farmland to forests and grasslands that comply with national policies, constructing protective forests and green channels in accordance with national policies and standards, etc., shall be managed according to forest and grassland management, and shall not be included in the scope of rectification and restoration of farmland.

In short, it should be remembered that there is no concept of "returning forests to farmland", and its accurate name is "rectifying and restoring farmland". Don't be confused by some inaccurate terms and shake our policies on farmland protection and food security.