In an exclusive interview, we explored the transformative journey of collective forest rights reform in Changshan County, Quzhou, Zhejiang Province. We spoke with Lin Yongzhou, the Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the County’s Bureau of Forestry and Water Resources, who shared insights about the significant digital innovations that are shaping the region’s forestry landscape.
With over 158 plots of contiguous forest land totaling more than 80,000 acres now registered on a dedicated forest rights storage and trading platform, potential investors can easily input their planting requirements and specific acreage, instantly accessing relevant plots on a dynamic map. “This digital empowerment is a new exploration to deepen the collective forest rights reform process,” Lin noted.
Situated at the crossroads of four provinces—Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, and Anhui—Changshan County is renowned for its lush landscapes, earning the title of the “gateway to western Zhejiang.” Addressing key questions regarding forest division, logging, funding, and the future of individual households—all central to collective forest rights reform—Lin emphasized the county’s commitment to streamlining the path for the conversion of forestry resources from “abandoned land” to new income sources. This year, the county’s total forestry output value reached 6.337 billion yuan, marking a year-on-year increase of 17.4%.
Lin described the challenges faced in the forestry resource conversion process, acknowledging issues such as inefficiencies, lack of agricultural support, and inadequate income generation. The county’s focus has been on standardizing and digitizing forest land storage and trading activities.
Building on the foundation of the Changshan Two Mountains Cooperative trading platform, this year marked a significant innovation with the establishment of the forest rights storage and trading platform. This platform offers comprehensive services including visual mapping of land resources, project site selection, instant access to trading information, and streamlined financial services, enhancing efficiency for investors and stakeholders.
The county’s rich forest resources have spurred the development of unique local industries, such as Hu You and Xiang You lemons. For instance, in April 2021, “Youxiang Valley” utilized the digital platform to facilitate the unified transfer of 647.87 acres of land in Tianma Street and Ping Village, transforming it into a standardized planting base for Xiang You lemons.
Furthermore, the “government + village collective + company” model has allowed the company to expand mustard lemon cultivation by leasing an additional 12,000 acres of land in Huibei Town, Tonggong Township, and Dong’an Township through the platform.
To clarify the concept of “standard land,” Changshan County introduced the “163” forestry standard land mechanism, ensuring that large-scale forestry management zones must have a single forestry management certificate. The well-defined property rights and supportive infrastructure of these standard lands have attracted a wealth of social capital into the forestry sector.
Since its trial operation, the Two Mountains Cooperative trading platform has seen 11,200 acres of land traded, amassing over 6.77 million yuan in transaction volume, with peak bid rates reaching 200%.
Digitalization has also enhanced forestry services. Last year, Changshan County became the first in Zhejiang to establish a market-oriented forestry service center that connects industry, markets, enterprises, and farmers through a unified digital service platform. This center also collaborates with various teams including labor service providers and research experts, offering comprehensive technical and mechanical support to forestry entities.
With Zhejiang having abundant forestry resources, the province has recently released an implementation plan to deepen collective forest rights reform, with a goal to empower villages through forestry. As these reforms take root, the potential for transforming ecological wealth into economic prosperity becomes increasingly evident. In January, Changshan was chosen as one of the first national experimental bases for innovative forest machinery and was recognized for outstanding achievements in collective forest rights reform within the province.
Recently, the provincial meeting to advance collective forest rights reform and promote rural revitalization convened in Changshan, showcasing the county’s forest rights storage and trading platform, oil tea industry cooperatives, and forestry service center as key areas of observation.
