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UNESCO & CHIC Group Jointly Release the White Paper on the Biosphere
Integrated Rural-Urbanization Programme (BIRUP) |
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| Shanghai China 21, October, 2012 UNESCO and the CHIC Group released the White Paper on the UNESCO-CHIC Group Biosphere Integrated Rural Urbanization Program at a press conference in Shanghai. The paper was written by UNESCO’s International Expert Group for the Urban Futures Programme, which aims to provide solutions and support for developing countries on integrated rural-urbanization planning & management. |
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| After signing the UNESCO-CHIC Biosphere Integrated Rural and Urbanization Programme (BIRUP) in April 2012, BIRUP was successfully set-up in Banan, Chongqing in July 2012. The White Paper was based on the investigations and findings of UNESCO professors in the Banan area and incorporated the successful practical experiences of the locals into the development of the BIRUP strategy. |
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| Mr. Hans d’Orville, the Assistant Director-General for Strategic Planning at UNESCO, Mr. Li Jianchun, Banan’s district secretary of the Party Committee, Mr. Edward Zhu, the CEO of the CHIC Group and Dr. Xu Bo, the special advisor to the assistant Director-General for Strategic Planning at UNESCO, promoted the BIRUP programme – its aims, prospects, future plans, progress at Banan and the importance of the White Paper to an audience of over 30 mainstream media organizations. |
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| Chinese methods solving rural-urban disparities |
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| Rural-Urban wealth disparities are a global issue; with gaps not only between rural and urban incomes but also in social security and employment opportunities; all imbalances potentially con-tributing to instability & social unrest. Many governments are seeking ways to help poor farmers and rural workers to escape poverty; yet fail to contribute to food production or create meaningful urban employment. In China, the solutions must promote the sustainable development of the economy, the society and the environment. |
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| Mr. Hans d’Orville, the Assistant Director-General for Strategic Planning at UNESCO, expressed at the conference that the prior MAB plan was carried out by governments, but today, with BIRUP; it is carried out in an innovative new way; combining the public & private sectors. BIRUP is an interdisciplinary project; people's living standards will be improved by advanced sciences and promoted globally. |
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| Edward Zhu was awarded 2012’s Most Change Power Figure Prize |
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| The White Paper highlighted that the key to China’s solution is the transfer of land-use rights. Reform of the urban residential permit system (Hukou) is a complementary part of the solution, enabling farmers who have transferred their land use rights to move to urban areas & ensuring they have employment opportunities, if they so wish. For those remaining in rural areas, innovative funding is required such as enabling loans to be secured against rural land contracting rights, forestry rights, and rural homestead occupancy rights to facilitate the modernization of the agricultural sector. |
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| The ‘Green Economy’, discussed at Rio+ 20 UN Sustainable Development Summit in June; is at the heart of the BIRUP project. The emphasis is on keeping the harmony of the ecosystem in mind. UNESCO combines science, economics and education to improve quality of life and protects the natural ecosystem through the concept of MAB, to promote the local economy, local social & cultural development and the promotion of natural sustainable development. |
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| Banan BIRUP Experiment |
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| In Banan, the Chongqing Municipality envisaged three urban-rural integrations - infrastructure, social security and public services. Industrialization, urbanization and coordinated action were key to the experiment; and three aspects - reform of the land occupancy situation, reform of the residential permit (Hukou) and reform of land property – were explored. |
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| In the Banan District, the dual urban-rural structure has existed hundreds of years. Banan's BIRUP programme has three objectives. Firstly; to integrate urban-rural development with comprehensive infrastructure, specific functional zones, vivid industrial features, organized social management, improved livelihoods, sustained economic development and a beautiful ecological environment. Secondly, to activate idle rural assets and increase the value of rural resources. And thirdly, to promote agricultural industrialization through the concentration of landholding. |
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| Banan District Party Secretary Mr. Li Jianchun explained the methods further. He said that Banan would follow the "Urban & rural integration model for prosperity creation; facili-ties construction social management." The model focuses on three ways "production, employment & lifestyle" to promote "Agricultural modernization, the professionalization of farmers & rural communities". The aim is to vigorously develop modern urban efficiency, industrialized agriculture, rural tourism and an ecological health pension industry. In Banan, the programme will construct ecological modern farms and feature towns, to build a "town in the rural, rural in the city" development pattern and achieve the vision of an "Integrated urban and rural development demonstration area". |
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| According to Secretary Li Jianchun, there are three key success factors for Banan’s rural-urbanization. The first is to promote industrialization and modernization of agriculture through land transfer, the second is to form complete communities through re-cultivating the farming land. Farmers can live in the community together and enjoy the public services same as townsfolk. The third factor is professionalization. By training and transferring, the local people can become professional workers with a choice of staying in the country as professional farmers or moving into towns as educated & trained workers. |
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| Biosphere Integrated Rural-Urbanization Programme |
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| Mr. Edward Zhu, the CEO of the CHIC Group, introduced the background of the White Paper from diverse aspects. The ecological integrated rural-urbanization concept propo-sed by CHIC aimed to realize the organic combination of the six pillars - social, economy, environment, education, science and culture - which is aligned with the sustainable development of UNESCO’s MAB programme. The paper then improved on the concept of China’s rural-urbanization to take it to an international level. It pointed the direction of future works and set the framework for sustainable development and CHIC’s practices. |
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| Banan’s BIRUP is based on the market economy and large-scale modern industrialized agriculture, and powered by high-quality agri-business and product research. Combined with the lease holding reform and obeying the principles of market economies, BIRUP aims to create a new industrial supply chain model and realize industrialization, agricultural scale & production modernization. BIRUP also aims to construct a harmonious residential environment and an investment environment, to attract talent and create local job oppor-tunities and realize the leap frog development of rural-urban construction. |
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| Mr.Zhu discussed that BIRUP would first focus on 11 interconnected projects and make full use of the natural advantages of the Banan area. Over $3 billion will be invested into these projects over 30 years and about 6 billion acres of land will be involved. The projects will be rolled-out in 3 parts and will include establishing a high intellectual knowledge center, under the guidance of the International University of Agri-Business, including agri-business education, research and innovation and high-end living at Huimin-Relying in Part 1. Part 2 will involve the construction of a food processing base, an agricultural market and headquarters base at Maliu Industrial park and a world-class Business Administration School at Mudong-Relying. Part 3 will establish a 100,000mu high standard orchard for large-scale industrialized agriculture. All those projects emphasize the interactive nature of the three aspects. The CHIC Group, with help from UNESCO, will put the development of the rural area into the concept of man and natural biosphere (MAB) protection, through the use of modern technology to achieve the maximum sustainable development and natural protection. |
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| Mr. Zhu added that as a socially responsible enterprise, it will be a long-term and arduous undertaking for the CHIC Group to engage in integrated rural-urbanization. It requires patience and endurance. |
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| A Model for China and Other Developing Countries |
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The White Paper pointed out that all these programs will provide diverse job opportunities in the Chongqing Banan area will increase the production abilities in rural areas and will also increase the food safety in Chongqing. The program will lead to a steady and modernized growth of the rural community. By working together at the interface of culture, industry, conservation and harmony of communities with nature, expressed by Mr. Hans d’Orville, CHIC and UNESCO are delivering an experiment that will:
• Achieve agricultural industrialization by developing large scale modern agriculture
• Change farmers to residents by providing various training, education & employment opportunities
• Enhance villages to grow into communities by improving public services and facilities
• Create a new lifestyle by constructing a high quality living environments with recreational and leisure facilities
• Attract talent and investment by creating a high quality international education chain
• Promote economic growth by training talent and developing green industries |
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| Mr. Zhu also announced the next development plan of the programme. Based on the White Paper, CHIC and UNESCO will make a complete sustainable rural-urbanization integrated development index system, conduct rules and standards in early 2013. The 2500 mu UNESCO-CHIC BIRUP global demonstration basement will be constructed at Ersheng in Banan within two to three years. UNESCO and the CHIC Group will co-host the "Global Rural-Urban Forum" in Chongqing, and provide a global communication platform for worldwide rural-urban development. |
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