International Workshop on Seabuckthorn, 1999

Tai Yuanlin, Director

China Administration Center of Seabuckthorn Development (CACSD)

Of the Ministry of Water Resources (MWR)

Distinguished Vice Chairwoman of CPPCC, Madame QianZhengying;

Distinguished Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP in China,

Madame Lena Lindberg;

Distinguished FAO Representative in China, Mr. Ajmal M. Qureshi;

Distinguished Representative of ICMOD, Dr Tej Partap;

Distinguished Vice Minister, Zhu Dengquan; Chairman;

Experts, Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:

On behalf of the sponsoring organization, China Administration Center of Seabuckthorn Development (CACSD) of the Ministry of Water Resources (MWR), please allow me to express our warm welcome to experts and scholars from different countries around the world, representatives from UNDP and other international organizations, as well as ambassadors from concerned embassies in China attending this International Workshop on Seabuckthorn in Beijing. As an important country in international Seabuckthorn development, China is very willing in exchange with the representatives from other countries the new achievements and experiences gained on the seabuckthorn research and development, and jointly study the potential value of seabuckthorn-this magic and precious plant-to the development of human society. This will then lead to the formation of multi-disciplinary economic and technological cooperative efforts among the countries. The present workshop is funded and supported by UNDP project 'Seabuckthorn Development in China'. Please allow me on behalf of CACSD and all the participants of this workshop to express our sincere thanks to UNDP for the generous support. In the following, please allow me to brief you on the recent status on seabuckthorn development in China.

1.The Practice of Seabuckthorn Development in China

Soil erosion and water conservation is the top environmental problem in China. The problem is most serious and difficult to solve in Northern China. This is especially serious in the Loess Plateau area where the climate is arid and the land is infertile. This region is generally not suited for reforestation and difficult to develop large tree forests. The poverty-stricken peasants there have no other source of income besides crop farming. They would reclaim the land for farming by destroying the forest. Since the harvest would be poor, they would then reclaim more land. The result is that the people become poorer as the land gets more barren. It formed a vicious circle. For the purposes of pushing forward the soil and water conservation work in the region not suitable for reforestation, the alleviation of poverty suffered by the peasants in the mountainous region, and acceleration the rehabilitation of the Loess Plateau, Madame Qian Zhengying, the former Minister of Water Resources and now the Vice Chairwoman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, proposed in 1985 to the central authorities based upon broad investigation work and studies:" to take the development of seabuckthorn resources as a break through for accelerating the rehabilitation of the Loess Plateau". This proposal was approved by the central authorities. Then the State Coordination Office for Seabuckthorn was established to take charge of the coordination of the seabuckthorn planting, processing, scientific research and promotion work in the county. Coordinating offices for seabuckthorn were also established by the Yellow River Water Conservancy Commission and by the provinces or autonomous regions such as Shaanxi, Shanxi, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, etc. From then on, the development of seabuckthorn in China became a planned, organized governmental work. In the next fifteen years, China has made outstanding achievements in the development of seabuckthorn, water and soil conservation, and the promotion of economic development in the mountainous regions.

(1) The development of seabuckthorn resources: In these fifteen years the developmental work of the Chinese seabuckthorn resources boomed. The annual planting acreage of seabuckthorn averaged 60,000 hectares. The total established acreage of seabuckthorn has reached 1,500,000 hectares in China. Over twenty seabuckthorn planting base counties have been established. For example, in Jianping County, Liaoning province, the large scale plantation of seabuckthorn. This has effectively improved the local natural, social and economic conditions and contributed prominently towards the poverty alleviation and raising the income level of the local peasants.

(2) Overcoming the key problem of soil and water losses in arenaceous (Pishayan) regions: The arenaceous region at the border of Shaanxi, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia is only 32,000 square kilometers in size, that is only 7.1% of the total area of the Loess Plateau suffering soil and water losses. Yet the coarse sediments it is discharged into the Yellow River accounted for 62% of the total coarse sediments received by the river. Study has shown that the sediments deposited in the lower reaches of the Yellow River are 70% coarse sediments. This is the major reason of silting up of the Yellow River. This controlling the soil and water losses of the arenaceous region in Shannxi, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia is key to the reduction of the silting of sediments in the lower reaches of the Yellow River. The ecological condition of the region is extremely harsh. Trees planted there will not survive and grasses planter will not grow. Some Chinese and foreign experts described this region as 'a lunar region on the earth' or 'cancer of the environment'. The Ministry of Water Resources organized an experiment of utilizing seabuckthorn in the rehabilitation of exposed arenaceous area in Iquecho Prefecture in Inner Mongolia starting in 1986. The experiment was a success. It demonstrated great ecological benefits from soil and water conservation. Seabuckthorn has already become the pioneering plant for controlling the soil and water losses in the arid region in northern China. It has already been popularized with strong emphasis. Professor Guan Junwei of the Beijing University of Forestry, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, commented on this achievement: 'The key to the control of the sedimentation problem of the Yellow River and the solution of the environmental problem of the Loess Plateau has now been found based upon the success of the use of seabuckthorn in the rehabilitation of arenaceous region.’

In 1998, 'Ecological Project of Seabuckthorn in the Arenaceous Region in Shaanxi, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia' was included in the 'State Program for Ecological Environment Improvement' and the 'State Program for Soil and Water Conservation. In that year, the State Planning Commission allocated 22 million yuan specifically for the management of arenaceous region using seabuckthorn. Over 20,000 hectares of seabuckthorn were planted during last winter and spring. The program called for planting 2,000,000 hectares of seabuckthorn in the arenaceous region over a ten-year period. When completed, the project will reduce the annual sediment discharged into the Yellow River by 170 million tons of which 140 million tons will be coarse sediments.

(3) Major progresses made on seabuckthorn research: In the area of basic research, there are breakthroughs in the establishment of the new taxonomic system of Hippophae and in the discovery of new species. Systematic research on the genetic resources has been carried our on a global scale. In the area of applied research, following the application of techniques of seedlings from the seeds and saplings from hardwood cuttings in nursery productions, the technique of saplings from soft woodcuttings is now applied in production. Aiming at larger berries, less thorns and more developed root systems the 'Improved Seabuckthorn Variety Species Breeding Research' has resulted in major achievements. The project was awarded the China's State first Class Award for the Achievement in Science and Technology in 1998. The extraction technology of seabuckthorn oil that meets the international standards has been applied in production on a large scale. The applied research on extraction techniques and the applications of active ingredients from the seabuckthorn berries and leaves have resulted in very significant progress. Some of the results have already been applied in production. Nearly ten kinds of medicines and health products based mainly upon seabuckthorn have been approved by the Chinese Ministry of Public Health. Some of the products are under development or in the process of license application.

(4) The trend of the seabuckthorn industry development is very favorable: According to incomplete statistics, China now has over one hundred seabuckthorn production factories. Their products include medicines, health products, food, cosmetics, wines, etc. These factories are located in the seabuckthorn plantation areas. They have helped in raising the income level of the local peasants and in the promotion of economic development of the poverty stricken areas. In recent years, some major domestic enterprises have turned towards the development of seabuckthorn products, such as Hongmao Medicinal Wine Corp, Shenzhen Yuntong Corp, etc. On the Internet, several dozen USA and Canadian enterprises processing and marketing seabuckthorn products have appeared since last year. The seabuckthorn industry has shown a robust trend towards further development. The boom of the seabuckthorn industry will surely generate a strong market pull. It will induce the broad peasant masses to actively plant seabuckthorn, promote the control of soil and water losses, and improve the ecological environment

2. Main Experiences Obtained the Development of Seabuckthorn in China

China has obtained many successful experiences in the development and utilization of seabuckthorn. Main experiences are as follows.

(1) Special emphasis by the leadership. The seabuckthorn development has been placed under constant emphasis by the Chinese government. Vice Premier Wen Jiabao emphasized that: 'Reforestation and the control of soil and water losses should be according to the local conditions and should select breakthrough technique and key tree species. Planting seabuckthorn has shown obvious results in the rehabilitation of the Loess Plateau. (Concerned provinces and regions) should show concern and support. The leaders of the State Planning Commission, the Ministry of finances, the Ministry of Science and Technology, other ministries and commissions under the State Council, and concerned provinces and autonomous regions, have given strong support to seabuckthorn development. Relying upon the leaders from various administrative levels in pushing forward seabuckthorn development in a healthy manner is a special characteristic of seabuckthorn development in China. It also guarantees the smooth implementation of seabuckthorn projects.

(2) Organization and implementation: There are special seabuckthorn management organizations at the central government, concerned provinces and autonomous regions, counties and the major river basin commissions such as the Yellow River Water Conservancy Commission. They played an important role in coordination, management, and direction of the development and utilization of seabuckthorn. Besides, the China Research and Training Center on Seabuckthorn (CRTCS), the National Supervisory Center of Seabuckthorn Products, the Exhibition Center of Seabuckthorn Products, and the National Association of Seabuckthorn Development Enterprises had been established in Beijing.

(3) Multi-party cooperation and joint tackling of key problems: The development and utilization of seabuckthorn in China involves the sectors of water conservancy, agriculture, light industry, health, science and technology, etc. The task is broad and crosses many ministries, departments and systems. Over the years, CACSD of MWR is responsible for coordination, organization of joint effort by different ministries and departments to tackle key problems. The aims are to comprehensively planting; scientific research, processing and marketing are fully integrated into a single system, to yield a series of research results, and to develop a series of products. The seabuckthorn breeding project which won the State First Class Award of Science and Technology in 1998 was jointly implemented by the Chinese Institute of Forestry Science, the Administrative Bureau of the Upper and Middle Reaches of the Yellow River of MWR, the Soil and Water Conservation Bureau of Iquecho Prefecture of Inner Mongolia, and the Soil and Water Conservation Bureau of Liaoning Province.

(4) Emphasis on the international exchange and cooperation: The environmental problem of China means the environmental problem of the world. Seabuckthorn work of China means the seabuckthorn work of the word. Over the years, with the support from the concerned ministries and departments of the Chinese government, World Bank, ICIMOD and other international organizations, Chinese and foreign experts have exchange visits and their experiences in numerous occasions. Dr Ralf Kwaschik, a German expert funded by GTZ/CIM, has been with the Center for two years. In 1997, UNDP provided a funding of 800,000 USD for the 'Seabuckthorn Development in China' project to be implemented by CICETE and CACSD of MWR. The purpose of the project was to strengthen the technical manpower and the equipment, and raise the management level. During the two years of the project implementation, over ten foreign experts visited China to provide technical assistance or to engage in technical exchange. In the mean time, fourteen Chinese technical personnel went abroad for technical tour and training. The implementation of this project is very important in pushing forward the seabuckthorn work and development. This is an international cooperation with far reaching significance.

3. About ICRTS and is ICC

During the International Symposium on Seabuckthorn held in Beijing in 1995, representatives of eleven countries including China and Russia unanimously proposed the establishment of ICRTS in Beijing. The International Coordinating Committee (ICC) of ICRTS was also formed. Over the past four years, MWR, representing China both as the founding nation and the host country, has generously supported the Center with manpower, funding, and technology. CACSD of MWR has taken up the tasks of the ICRTS and the Secretariat of the ICC. Five issues of Annual Report of ICRTS were published and distributed regularly to the representatives of twelve member countries, and nearly a dozen international organizations. It had also organized and participated in the second and third ICC meetings Finland and Russia respectively.

It has been little more than four years since the founding of the ICRTS. So there are still many things to be improved upon. CACSD of MWR will so its utmost in carrying out its responsibilities and tasks assigned by ICRTS and ICC. In the mean time, it would like to have continued firm support from the Ministry of Foreign Economic and Trade and other concerned ministries and commissions, from UNDP, FAO, ICIMOD and other international organizations. It would also need the active cooperation and support from member countries.

Distinguished experts and representatives. More and more people have now recognized the prominent effect of seabuckthorn on the improvement of ecological environment. With the international technical cooperation and exchanges and the implementation of China's ecological environment improvement work, seabuckthorn will not only play a key role in the control of soil and water losses from arid regions in china, but also in similar regions in other parts of the world. It will take root, bloom and bear fruits in those regions, and improve the ecological environment there. Seabuckthorn has over 190 bioactive compounds. It is called the 'Treasures chest of bioactive compounds'. Development of its full potential will be a major contribution to human health. As the homeland of seabuckthorn, China also has the most abundant seabuckthorn resources. CACSD of MWR and ICRTS will further improve their work in planting, scientific research, product development, marketing of seabuckthorn and its products in China so as to become the vanguard and the main force in the international seabuckthorn development and to provide other countries with successful experience. Here we would warmly welcome continued support and cooperation from every representative here, UNDP, FAO, ICIMOD and other international organization, as well as all concerned ministries and departments in China.

Finally I sincerely wish this meeting be a complete success and wish every representative have a most pleasant stay in Beijing.