Green growth, rural revitalization

The private sector is also seen as key to China's rural revitalization. In Jintang County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, privately owned farms are transforming morel mushrooms into a billion-dollar industry. Family farms and independent traders are driving income growth, creating jobs, and helping to shape China's agricultural future. 90 percent of China's morel trade happens in Jintang. These delicate fungi now bring in a whopping eight billion yuan, over $1 billion annually for the county. This means higher incomes for locals and more job opportunities.

China's rural population makes up over one-third of the country's total, and rural revitalization is considered a key strategy for modernizing rural life and improving the livelihoods of these people. To achieve this, innovative farming practices have been given increasing attention. Morels aren't the only crop locals grow. Farmers in Jintang rotate morels with other crops and vegetables, allowing for three harvests a year.