Extending Blessings

Supporting Government Policy

This article is a continuation of a few recent write-ups on the opportunities to share our values through the services of a non-profit organization. I emphasized the importance of building relationships with the government officials and understanding the national/ provincial/ district policies. In the social system in China, if you have a community service program which supports certain governing policies, your organization will be put in an advantageous position to reach out to a wide variety of target groups because of the endorsement of the officials. As a result, people will feel free to gather around and listen to you.

Just as Peter taught us, we should submit ourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good we should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people (1 Peter 2:13-15). Based on this principle of respecting the governing authority, we create solutions with multiple objectives:

1. Providing social services to complement local government policy,
2. Addressing a social issue,
3. Bundling our message with biblical value.

When the officials find that the service satisfies their interest, they would even introduce us to connect with some other channels which we can leverage to multiply our impact. A non-profit need not be very sizable as long as we can explore ways to multiply our social impact.

Background of the Case

I would like to share a case to illustrate how this principle worked for our ministry in China. Although the service program was completed and turned into a different theme to cope with the changing emphasis of the local government over the years, I believe the lessons learned are still applicable references. I had a summary of this case in an earlier article, “Doors Are Still Open.” But here, I would focus on the process of gaining support from several stakeholders so that we could reach out to the communities in villages and towns.

The Problem

We worked in the northern part of Guangdong province. In the remote countryside, countless small farms sprawled across hills and plains. The farmers used a lot of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to ensure the productivity of their vegetation. During our visits, we met farmers suffering from chronic diseases caused by frequent pesticide exposure. It was difficult to block the prevalent use of them because if your neighbor used pesticides, probably the pests would swarm to the fields free of pest killers. To prevent one’s own land from becoming a hotbed for pest growth, everyone got to use chemicals without considering the long-term disadvantages.

There are several obvious drawbacks of the extensive use of chemicals in the fields. Firstly, the health of the farmers and their families are exposed to a risk, especially those who do not take sufficient precautions to protect themselves before and after spraying pesticides. Secondly, vegetables with remains of chemicals are not a healthy diet for consumers. They are not able to visibly detect which products contain excessive chemicals. The government intends to control it through taking samples for inspections. But the produce in the market comes from numerous small farms in diverse villages. Traceability remains a challenge. Thirdly, the extensive use of chemicals is not environmentally sustainable. It causes soil hardening. The natural balanced composition of the soil is ruined. God’s creation is damaged. Gradually, fertilizers will become less effective, causing the farmers to use more fertilizers to keep the same level of productivity. The vicious cycle spirals downward.

An Important Government Policy

The central government recognized this widespread issue across multiple provinces. In 2015, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs launched a campaign to stop the incremental use of industrial fertilizers and pesticides. The target was to control the usage level to zero growth in five years.¹ This policy has lasted up till now; the government still upholds such an important control measure.²

Most farmers were conscious of the harmfulness of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. They rinsed and washed carefully before they cooked. Some of them even kept a separate small patch to grow produce without chemicals for their own consumption. Yet, they really did not know how to make a living without such malpractice. The method promoted by the government required highly technical instruments and knowledge for implementation, which a primitive small-scale farm could not catch up with. There was a gap between government expectations and the practical situation of the grassroot farmers.

Switching to organic agriculture was impractical because no land was free from prior chemical use. The cost and learning curve incurred were way too high for the farmers relying on subsistence agriculture. We came to know of a rare local organic farm whose price of vegetables was a few times higher than the regular market due to the higher cost and sizeable investment. They could hardly find local buyers. The products were transported to major cities and Hong Kong for high-end customers. No ordinary peasants could afford such an attempt.

Getting a Green Light for a Well-Balanced Solution

After praying for some time in search of guidance, we came across a knowledgeable and experienced farmer in another province. He proposed the use of beneficial microbes coupled with natural insecticides and repellents to keep the plants healthy. This did not aim at total elimination of chemicals but reducing the reliance on them. There was a balance between cost and environmental concern. We conducted research and experimented with the proposed method on a pilot farmland under the guidance of the experienced farmer, whom we later engaged as our consultant. After gaining satisfactory results and confidence, we discussed our approach with officers of some government and quasi-government institutions, such as departments responsible for food and medicine inspection, associations for science and technology, and the committee for agriculture and rural affairs. They agreed that we should: a. educate the peasants on the precautions of using chemicals for farming; b. promote the use of beneficial microbes, natural insecticides and repellents.

Such a go-ahead signal encouraged us to connect with further parties. We discussed with a few villagers’ committees and government rural comprehensive service centers to gain their support in arranging promotional events and activities. We provided educational materials on sustainable farming benefits and the risks of mishandling chemicals. We invited some farmers to start cultivating homegrown microbial fertilizers for spraying on their farms following our guidelines. During the course, we visited homes in the villages and made friends with the families.

With relationships further established, we partnered with a university to arrange an experiential learning project. As a volunteer program, the students stationed in the villages for a few weeks during summer holidays. They designed materials, exhibits and booths to promote precautions in using farming chemicals and alternative pest control methods. Meanwhile, they visited the farmers in a village to learn more about their livelihood. These families introduced them to elderly neighbors living alone. The chain of friendship was then extended so that our staff and volunteers could carry out further community care and supply some materials to help the needy.

Opportunities for Sharing Life Stories

Looking back, the villages were receptive because they saw that our organization was sincere in caring for the villages and our advice aligned well with the government’s direction. Through our message, they would see that the land was a blessing from nature. We should make good use of it instead of defiling it. On the topic of regeneration of soil nutrients, we could turn to sharing our understanding in the wonders of creation. We could also exchange our life stories with the villagers.

Following this phase, we shared our progress with township stakeholders to amplify the impact. I will leave this part to the next writing.

1. “Action Launched on Zero Growth of Chemical Fertilizer and Pesticide Use (化肥农药使用量零增长行动启动),” the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, March 18, 2015, accessed December 27, 2024, https://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2015-03/18/content_2835617.htm.
2. “Notice on the Publication of the Action Plan for the Reduction and Quantification of Chemical Fertilizers by 2025 and the Action Plan for the Reduction and Quantification of Chemical Pesticides by 2025 (关于印发《到2025年化肥减量化行动方案》和《到2025年化学农药减量化行动方案》的通知),” Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, November 18, 2022, accessed December 27, 2024, https://baike.baidu.com/reference/62465259/533aYdO6cr3_z3kATPSNzvqkYCfAMNSo6LHXBrVzzqIPmGapB5nyTcY_79Zx-fhxWgjF_59tdsYAlOSjWVQvhJ5nDY4qQLUgn3f9THfAybzk_tsxm75Cp4tFW6Qfmam16w.

Are you enjoying a cup of good coffee or fragrant tea while reading the latest ChinaSource post? Consider donating the cost of that “cuppa” to support our content so we can continue to serve you with the latest on Christianity in China.

Donate