Potatoes chip in to restrict desert growth

The humble vegetable is helping to turn sandy areas green, create jobs and boost living standards. Yang Wanli reports from Beijing, with Yuan Hui in Hohhot.

As they enjoy a bag of potato chips or a box of fries at a fast-food outlet, few people are likely to know where the raw materials for the popular snacks originate when they are produced in China.

When they learn that the answer is "the desert", many are surprised.

North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region has the largest amount of desertified and sandy land in the country, so it faces a severe threat of desertification. Now, though, potatoes are helping to turn the sand into an oasis of greenery.

The region's battle with sand is a reflection of the central government's determination to protect the environment, and also the catalyst for innovative measures to restore the fragile desert environment.

Over many years, the country has taken a number of steps to bring its deserts under control. In 1978, an anti-desertification drive began in North China to plant a massive wall of trees－known to many people as the "green Great Wall"－along the border with the Gobi Desert to significantly contain its expansion.

The project, which is expected to be completed in 2050 and extend about 4,500 kilometers, will help expand the country's northern forestry coverage from 5 percent in the 1960s to 15 percent.

On March 30, President Xi Jinping joined Beijing residents for a voluntary tree-planting activity in the capital's Daxing district. He urged comprehensive efforts to promote environmental conservation and make a greater contribution to advancing global environmental and climate governance and enhancing harmony between man and nature.

This year marks the 41st anniversary of the country's voluntary tree-planting program.