Three Chinese women named UN FAO rural development heroes
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization has named three Chinese women, including desertification fighter Yin Yuzhen, among 100 women recognised for contributions to agriculture and rural development, marking the 2026 International Year of Women Farmers.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has named three Chinese women among its 100 rural women heroes in agriculture and food systems, announced at a ceremony in Rome, Italy, on Thursday.
Yin Yuzhen, a desertification-control campaigner and national model worker, was selected alongside Yu Jinxiu and Dong Minfang, according to the FAO's global recognition initiative marking the 2026 International Year of Women Farmers.
The initiative honours 100 women who have made outstanding contributions to agriculture, food systems and rural development worldwide.
Xinhua News Agency reported that Yin has worked for years in the Mu Us Sandy Land in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, persistently fighting desertification through afforestation and making positive contributions to improving the local ecological environment.
FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said at the awards ceremony that women are an important driving force in agricultural food systems, playing an indispensable role in safeguarding food security, managing natural resources, promoting rural development and strengthening community resilience.