Source

First Prize Winning Entry, 2023 Good Food - University Student Case Analysis Report Competition

Abstract

The Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology (SEE) is committed to exploring innovative models of eco-friendly agriculture development and actively advancing desertification governance in China. In 2009, SEE began its work in the Alxa region, exploring and promoting the cultivation of drought-tolerant millet for arid regions. In 2015, SEE initiated the establishment of a social enterprise, Beijing Weixi Agricultural Development Co., Ltd. The company, based on operational needs, set up cooperatives in the Alxa region. Since then, the cooperative has been responsible for the front-end promotion of drought-tolerant millet and drip irrigation technology, while the company handles the back-end tasks of purchasing, developing, and marketing the millet products. This initiative aims to forge a win-win path that combines ecological protection with increasing farmers’ incomes through the promotion of a sustainable water-saving agricultural model. From 2013 to 2023, the project cumulatively promoted the cultivation of drought-tolerant millet across 2,278.67 hectares. Small as they are, these grains possess a vast collective power to reverse desertification, preserving our blue skies and clear waters.

Keywords

Alxa, desertification prevention and control, drought-tolerant millet for arid regions, new model of philanthropy, public engagement