Transforming the management of grassland ecosystems to foster inclusive and equitable conservation and reduce wealth inequality between wealthy and poor herders in Inner Mongolia.
44.026, 113.515999
1st
China is the world's richest country based on net worth.[1]
90%
of Inner Mongolia's grasslands are degraded. 22% of China's natural grasslands are in Inner Mongolia.
4th
China’s ranking for inequality among the world's leading economies.[2]
My dream is to conserve my community’s grazing lands
Our Commitment
The 3-year partnership sees the Julius Baer Foundation and TNC working with local communities to reduce wealth inequality through 4 key actions:
- training up to 4,000 people in Grassland Smart Management (GSM);
- helping up to 100 herder households eliminate their debt;
- forming up to six cooperatives involving 30 poor and rich herding households who will equitably share economic benefits and work together to mitigate risks;
- implementing GSM on up to 10,000 ha. of grasslands, restoring the health and resilience of the ecosystem.
In Inner Mongolia, environmental degradation is a cause and a consequence of wealth inequality.
Grasslands are the key ecosystem of the Region, comprising nearly three quarters of its territory. But the effects of overgrazing and climate change have led to degradation on 90% of the local grasslands, which can no longer produce enough forage to meet livestock needs.
Local herders are forced to buy extra forage to keep their livestock fed, increasing their annual expenses, which often end up exceeding their income. Thus indebted, they try to increase their income by overgrazing; 40% of them also rent land to wealthy herders whose livestock overgraze, triggering further soil degradation and worsening conditions for the poorer herding families. The cycle keeps on widening the wealth gap.
TNC programme in Inner Mongolia tackles the issue by training local herders in Grassland Smart Management (GSM), a sustainable grazing technique that restores soil resilience and health.
To reduce or avoid the herders' debt, TNC is also providing them with supplemental forage. Those who practice GSM on their lands need to pay back only 50% of the cost of this supplemental forage.
The project aims to strengthen the local community by fostering the creation of cooperatives that integrate poor and wealthy herders, who will collaborate to reduce economic risks and build sustainable livelihoods.
Become a Changemaker
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, scholar or financial supporter, there are many ways you can contribute to The Nature Conservancy and help tackle wealth inequality in China.
[1] Source: The rapid growth in global wealth | McKinsey, 2021 https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/financial-services/our-insights/the-rise-and-rise-of-the-global-balance-sheet-how-productively-are-we-using-our-wealth
[2] Source: https://www.newstatesman.com/world/2021/08/china-s-income-inequality-among-world-s-worst
