Rome, Italy - May 21, 2025 Storyline: Three new sites in China were officially recognized by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) on Wednesday. The newly-designated sites are the Deqing Freshwater Pearl Mussels Composite Fishery System in east China's Zhejiang Province, the Fuding White Tea Culture System in east China's Fujian Province, and the Gaolan Shichuan Ancient Pear Orchard System in northwest China's Gansu Province. With the latest inclusions, China continues to lead globally in the number of GIAHS sites, now totaling 25. The 800-year-old Deqing system, which is focused on shelled pearl mussel cultivation, integrates aquaculture, agriculture, and traditional craftsmanship. It produces pearls, rice, silk, and other goods. This circular system offers valuable global insights into sustainable farming, ecological balance, and rural development, the FAO said. The centuries-old Fuding White Tea Culture System combines ecological knowledge with artisanal practices. It integrates tea gardens with forests and crops, preserving 18 varieties of tea trees. In addition to tea, the system also supports more than 120 other agricultural species, contributing to biodiversity and food system resilience. The Gaolan Shichuan Ancient Pear Orchard System, located along the Yellow River in the arid Loess Plateau, has a 600-year history of dryland agroforestry. It showcases techniques adapted to water scarcity and erosion-prone soils, supporting agrobiodiversity, food security, and rural livelihoods. The system produces over 2 million kilograms of pears annually, which are used to produce local specialities such as dried pears. Clelia Puzzo, a GIAHS senior programme specialist, called these agricultural heritage systems living examples of harmony between people and nature. "The ones that are selected as GIAHS are very special, because they respond to five selection criteria. First of all, they need to explain the global importance. They need to explain why they contribute to the global challenges and to the global issues. Then they need to explain how they contribute to food security, livelihood security. And then they need to explain that they are sustainable agricultural systems, so they need to contribute to the biodiversity and ecosystem services as well. Traditional knowledge is another criterion that is very important. Then the cultures, value systems, and social organizations. And finally, the landscape and seascape features," Puzzo said. Other newly-recognized GIAHS sites beyond China include the shade-grown erva mate system in Parana, Brazil; the metepantle ancestral agricultural system in Tlaxcala, Mexico; and the agricultural systems in jable and volcanic sands on Spain's Lanzarote Island. With the latest additions, the FAO's global agricultural heritage network now comprises 95 systems across 28 countries. Shotlist: Rome, Italy - May 21, 2025: 1. Various of United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters, UN flag 2. FAO event in progress FILE: Deqing County, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, east China - Date Unknown: 3. Clips of video introducing Deqing Freshwater Pearl Mussels Composite Fishery System FILE: Fuding County-level City, Ningde City, Fujian Province, east China - Date Unknown: 4. Clips of video introducing Fuding White Tea Culture System FILE: Gaolan County, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province, northwest China - Date Unknown: 5. Clips of video introducing Gaolan Shichuan Ancient Pear Orchard System Rome, Italy - May 21, 2025: 6. SOUNDBITE (English) Clelia Puzzo, Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems senior program specialist, FAO: "The ones that are selected as GIAHS are very special, because they respond to five selection criteria. First of all, they need to explain the global importance. They need to explain why they contribute to the global challenges and to the global issues. Then they need to explain how they contribute to food security, livelihood security. And then they need to explain that they are sustainable agricultural systems, so they need to contribute to the biodiversity and ecosystem services as well. Traditional knowledge is another criterion that is very important. Then the cultures, value systems, and social organizations. And finally, the landscape and seascape features." 7. Tea leaves on display 8. Various of employee making tea, serving visitors 9. Tea wares on table 10. FAO officials, Fuding white tea inheritors posing for photo. [Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland]