Ordos forum highlights land-friendly business and desertification control

The 10th Kubuqi International Desert Forum held in Ordos city hosted a special session on "Global Development of Land-Friendly Business" on Sept 17.

Representatives from the Chinese government, enterprises, international organizations, and several countries gathered to discuss "policy-market synergy" and "innovation and youth entrepreneurship", exploring new ways to link desertification control with sustainable business.

Sun Guoji, first vice president of the China National Sand Control and Desert Industry Society, noted that the land-friendly business initiative aligns closely with China's ecological strategies, including the constitutional principle of ecological civilization and the national pledge to restore 10 million hectares of degraded land by 2030. He highlighted innovations such as solar-agriculture integration in the Kubuqi Desert, achieving ecological, social, and economic benefits.

Karen Martinez O, project expert at the UN Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization, praised China's role as a regional benchmark in land restoration, emphasizing its contribution to knowledge-sharing and building Asia-Pacific partnerships.

Chinese companies, including Ant Forest and Erdos Resources, shared desert management and eco-industry practices. International experts such as the CEO of the Sustainable Fibre Alliance, Hong Kong's Environmental Protection Director, and representatives of the China Green Foundation exchanged views on aligning policy and business goals and promoting youth entrepreneurship.

Una Jones, CEO of the Sustainable Fibre Alliance, stressed Mongolia's urgent land degradation challenges, with 76 percent of its territory affected. She welcomed the forum's focus on Kubuqi as a model, saying collaboration, science, and innovation are key to grassland management.

The forum showcased China's innovative practices in land-friendly business, offering insights for global land restoration and sustainable development. Zhang Weidong, president of the Inner Mongolia Sand and Grass Industry Association, emphasized Ordos' pioneering role in combining government guidance, enterprise action, market forces, and public participation, calling it a model to share China's story with the world.