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A UN SDGs-Based Sustainability Evaluation Framework for Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS): A Case Study on the Kuaijishan Ancient Chinese Torreya Community

Author

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  • Wen Zhao

    (Institution of Chinese Agricultural Civilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
    Center of International Cooperation Service, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100125, China)

  • Siming Wang

    (Institution of Chinese Agricultural Civilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China)

  • Yongxun Zhang

    (Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China)

  • Ming Xu

    (Center of International Cooperation Service, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100125, China)

  • Hongkai Qie

    (Institution of Chinese Agricultural Civilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China)

  • Yong Lu

    (Institution of Chinese Agricultural Civilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China)

  • Hanning Lu

    (Center of International Cooperation Service, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100125, China)

  • Ran An

    (Center of International Cooperation Service, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100125, China)

Abstract

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launched the conservation initiative of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) in 2002, providing a new solution to current global problems such as widening gap between rich and poor, environmental pollution, biodiversity destruction and degradation of agro-ecological functions. However, since the implementation of GIAHS, few studies have evaluated the role of GIAHS in regional sustainable development. To fill this research gap, this paper attempts to build an evaluation index system that integrates economic, social and environmental sustainability by matching the 169 subgoals and 232 indices of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with five FAO-GIAHS selection criteria and selecting the indices. The index weights are determined through Delphi method (expert scoring) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Then the GIAHS site of the Kuaijishan Ancient Chinese Torreya Community in Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province is taken as an example for evaluation to enhance the empirical study. The results show that the comprehensive score for this heritage site is 77.90 points, of which economic, social and environmental sustainability scores 88.27, 86.12 and 69.71 points respectively, showing a descending trend. Thus, ecological protection of the Kuaijishan Ancient Chinese Torreya Community should be strengthened and be given prominence in the future. As for the contribution to further research, this SDGs-based GIAHS sustainability evaluation framework can serve as an important guide for assessing the approaches and effects of GIAHS in promoting the achievement of the SDGs. It can also be used for future international GIAHS sustainability assessment and comparison and provide a basis for adjusting the development model of GIAHS sites.

Suggested Citation

  • Wen Zhao & Siming Wang & Yongxun Zhang & Ming Xu & Hongkai Qie & Yong Lu & Hanning Lu & Ran An, 2021. "A UN SDGs-Based Sustainability Evaluation Framework for Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS): A Case Study on the Kuaijishan Ancient Chinese Torreya Community," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-15, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:17:p:9957-:d:629485
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jussi Lankoski & Markku Ollikainen, 2003. "Agri-environmental externalities: a framework for designing targeted policies," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 30(1), pages 51-75, March.
    2. Kemkes, Robin J., 2015. "The role of natural capital in sustaining livelihoods in remote mountainous regions: The case of Upper Svaneti, Republic of Georgia," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 22-31.
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