Congratulations! China’s Desert‑Rehabilitation Practitioner Yin Yuzhen Named One of FAO 100 Women Heroes in Agri‑Food Systems and Rural Development

At an award ceremony held at the Rome Headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Italy on 15 October local time, Yin Yuzhen, a Chinese desert‑rehabilitation practitioner, was conferred the title of "One of FAOs 100 Women Heroes for Agri‑Food Systems and Rural Development". The recognition forms part of the events for the 2026 World Food Forum.

Launched by FAO, this global honour programme commemorates the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026 and recognises women who have made outstanding contributions to agriculture, agri‑food systems and rural development. A total of 609 nominations were submitted by 131 FAO member states. Following eligibility verification, high‑level evaluation and ranking, as well as two rounds of deliberations, 100 laureates were selected. FAO had previously published the list of 99 laureates on its official website, including Yu Jinxiu, a moxibustion therapist from Qichun County, Hubei Province, and Dong Minfang, Chairperson of Fengrui Agricultural Machinery Specialized Cooperative in Yueyang County, Hunan Province. The final laureate, Yin Yuzhen, a desert‑rehabilitation practitioner from Inner Mongolia, China, was unveiled at the award ceremony on 15 October local time.

For more than four decades, Yin Yuzhen has been based in the Mu Us Sandy Land of Inner Mongolia, committing herself to afforestation and wind‑sand control. Together with her family, she has created forest cover across over 70,000 mu of land, planting more than 8 million trees. She has also galvanised local residents to join sandy‑land restoration efforts, bringing about sustained improvements to the regional ecological environment.

Ronald Sakolsky (Saikos), an American friend, was invited to Rome to attend the World Food Forum and delivered a speech as a special guest. He paid tribute to the 100 women heroes, urged young people to follow these female role models, and called for hands‑on tree‑planting to safeguard nature.

The story of the reunion between Yin Yuzhen and Saikos in the Mu Us Sandy Land has attracted worldwide attention and stands as a vivid example of people‑to‑people friendship between China and the United States.