Yin Yuzhen walks on her way to patrol the forest in Salawusu Village, Uxin Banner, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 20, 2026. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)
Yin Yuzhen, a leading Chinese expert on desertification control, hopes to share her experience with communities facing land degradation, drought and desertification. Although conditions vary across regions, she believes that determination, and locally adapted approaches can help restore degraded land and improve people's lives.
ROME, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- A leading Chinese expert on desertification control has called for global unity to protect food security and the environment.
Yin Yuzhen, who has spent more than four decades restoring the Maowusu Sandy Land in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, said in a recent interview with Xinhua that she hopes to share her experience and inspire collective efforts to safeguard the future of the planet.
Yin was named one of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations' (FAO) 100 Women Heroes in Agrifood Systems and Rural Development on Thursday.
Yin Yuzhen attends a ceremony for Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations' (FAO) 100 Women Heroes in Agrifood Systems and Rural Development, in Rome, Italy, Oct. 15, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)
Speaking to Xinhua in Rome, she said desertification control has not only transformed the local environment but also created new opportunities for rural residents to improve their livelihoods.
"I have spent more than 40 years transforming this desert, and now all kinds of food can grow here," Yin said.
Since planting her first tree in 1986, Yin has helped green over 70,000 mu (around 4,667 hectares) -- an area roughly the size of 6,500 standard soccer pitches -- of sandy land. Today, the area supports a greater variety of crops and plants, including cherries and roses, creating new opportunities for agricultural production and income growth.
For Yin, combating desertification is closely linked to food security. "If we cannot control the sand, how can we grow good crops when sandstorms come? How can we improve the soil?" she said, stressing that protecting the land is essential to producing quality agricultural products and ensuring that ecological restoration benefits local communities.
"The Maowusu Sandy Land has turned green, and now it is becoming a land of gold," she said, describing the transformation as an example of the Chinese concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.
Yin's work has also fostered a friendship that transcends national borders. In 1999, Ronald Sakolsky, an American teaching in China at the time, saw a television report on Yin's tree-planting efforts and raised 5,000 U.S. dollars to support her work.
Like the trees, their friendship has grown and endured.
"Although we come from two different countries and speak different languages, our hearts are connected," Yin said.
Yin Yuzhen (R), Bai Wanxiang (C) and Ronald Sakolsky view the Maowusu Sandy Land in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Aug. 24, 2026. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)
She sees their friendship as a reflection of the need for international cooperation in environmental protection.
"It is like the vision of a community with a shared future for humanity proposed by China. Although we come from different countries, we live on the same planet," she said. "We must unite to cherish nature and protect our planet."
Yin hopes to share her experience with communities facing land degradation, drought and desertification. Although conditions vary across regions, she believes that determination, and locally adapted approaches can help restore degraded land and improve people's lives.
The year 2026 has been designated by the United Nations as the International Year of the Woman Farmer. Yin said women play an important role in families and society and deserve greater support and opportunities in agriculture and rural development.
"They need not only equal status, but also more opportunities to put their abilities to use," she said. "Give them a little sunshine, and they will flourish."
Yin Yuzhen patrols a sandy land in Salawusu Village, Uxin Banner, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 20, 2026. (Xinhua/Liu Jinhai)
Being named one of the FAO's 100 Women Heroes is both a recognition of Yin's past efforts, and an encouragement to continue her work, which shows that perseverance and cooperation can transform barren land into a fertile landscape.
"Like a Mongolian horse, I will keep pressing forward with perseverance and determination," she said.
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