A China Daily article examines how China's state-owned forest farms are managing forests for both carbon storage and local livelihoods. The Wangyedian forest farm in Inner Mongolia helped former workers grow red pine mushrooms under the canopy, combining forest protection with income generation. The farm now produces over 5,000 tons of mushrooms annually and provides more than 1,000 jobs. China's forest coverage reached 25.1 percent during the 14th Five-Year Plan, meeting its 2030 forest stock target early. The article also highlights the Asia-Pacific Network for Sustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation (APFNet), which has implemented over 50 demonstration projects across 20 member economies. Projects in Cambodia and Thailand show how forest restoration can be paired with home gardens, solar power, and ecotourism to make conservation economically viable. The piece argues that better forest governance and legal timber supply can reduce illegal logging by addressing its root causes.
