Hidden among the hillsides of the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan, a new green revolution is taking place as farmers and researchers prove that, despite long-held pessimism, upland rice farming can reap rewards. A new cropping system that incorporates new rice varieties bred for the upland environment, and which produce more rice on less land, has already lifted thousands of people out of poverty. As slash-and-burn agriculture becomes a thing of the past in Yunnan, some of the steepest mountainous areas is being returned to forest. The new system is now set for introduction into similar environments beyond Yunnan, where it has the potential to transform upland agriculture in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.

For the full story, please click here.