DR. YICHING SONG

Areas of Expertise

Bio-culture system, Agrobiodiversity, Traditional Knowledge; Agroecology via CSA for Sustainable Food Systems; Biocultural Heritage Territories and local governance; Ethnobotany and Indigenous Food System for diversified and resilience livelihood, Community-led Ecosystem-based nature resource management (Seeds, water, Soil) for Climate Change Adaptation

Brief Bio

Dr. Yiching Song obtained her Ph.D in rural sociology and rural development in Wageningen University, in the Netherlands in 1998. She worked as assistant researcher in Amsterdam University during 1998-2000. Since 2000, she has been a senior researcher and program leader in the Centre for Chinese Agricultural Policy (CCAP), Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) and now she is senior researcher in UNEP-IEMP program in the CAS. She is also a lecture professor of China Agricultural University, Guangxi University and SW China University. Meanwhile she has been collaborating with Wageningen University since 2007 and has co-supervising 4 PhD students. She has been board member and a visiting senior researcher in the China Centre for Intellectual Property in Agriculture (CCIPA), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science since 2008. Since 2010, she has been member of CIMMYT scientific committee. Her research focus on biodiversity, ecosystem based adaptation, sustainable rural livelihood in the context of socio-economic and Climate changes and related policies in China covering a range of several related areas like biodiversity, traditional culture and knowledge, Heber medicine, seeds and food systems security, Community based bio-culture conservation and management, farmer cooperatives and related gender and social and culture issues etc. Her main research methodology is participatory action research and policy analysis with multiple culture and multi-disciplines approaches from community to global levels. Since 2013, she initiated and founded the NGO “Farmer Seeds Network” in China, aiming to enhancing collaboration between formal and farmer seed systems via community based bio-culture system enhancement for local people led traditional culture and nature resource management piloting, policy advocacy and linkage for diversified healthy food systems and community based climate change adaptation.

Selected important Projects led by her:
As the head of the Participatory Action Research Program in CCAP, she is leader and principle researcher of numbers of significant environment and rural development research and policy experiment projects as bellow:

1. Sub project 3 “Sub-task 3: “Sustainable livelihoods and green development strategy in vulnerable regions” in “Pan-Third Pole Environment Study for a Green Silk Road (Pan-TPE) in context of climate change” which is strategic priority project by Chinese Academy of Science, 2018-2022
2. “Strengthening Chinese women farmers’ economic resilience to escape poverty and adapt to climate change in 7 poverty mountainous counties in Qinghai provinces, implemented by CCAP, supported by UN-women and IFAD, 2018-2021
3. China Country Case in “Ecosystem-Based Approaches To Adaptation: Strengthening The Evidence And Informing Policy“ by IIED, 2015-2021
4. “Smallholder Innovation for Resilience: Strengthening Innovation Systems for Food Security in the face of Climate Change”, a multiple country network with China (southwest), India (Himalayas), Peru (Andes) and Kenya (coast) coordinated by IIED and funded by EU, 2012-2018.
5. Supporting Farmers’ organization and Rural Innovation Process in China (collaborated with China Agricultural U and MOA, working with 10 farmer organizations in 5 pilot provinces in China, funded by IDRC, 2008-2012)
6. Fair Access and Benefit Sharing of Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge for Rural Livelihood Security: Exploring Appropriate Policies and Laws in Rapidly Changing China funded by IDRC and some supporting fund from a MOA program,2007-2011)
7. Rural Livelihood Security and Policy Change: ---
   Enhancing Community-based Natural Resource Management and Farmer Empowerment in Guangxi, SW China (collaborated with Ministry of Agriculture, and Ministry of Environment Protection, funded by IDRC and MOEP,2004-2008)
8. “Networking for Institutionalising Social Analysis and Gender Analysis in Agricultural and Natural Resource Management policies in Southwest China” (Collaborated with 4 provincial research institutions in 3 SW provinces, funded by IDRC,2005-2011)
9. “Gender Mainstreaming in IFAD supported poverty reduction projects in China”, supported by IFAD with fund from Japanese government, during 2006-2011.

Publications

• Alejandro Argumedo, Yiching Song, Colin K. Khour, Danny Hunter, Hannes Dempewolf, Luigi Guarino, Stef de Haan “Indigenous biocultural diversity for food system resilience & equity under global environmental change” in Frontiers in Sustainable Food System, March, 2021
• Xin Song, Guanqi Li, Ronnie Vernooy and Yiching Song (2021) “Community Seed Banks in China: Achievements, Challenges and Prospects” in Frontiers in Sustainable Food System, ORIGINAL RESEARCH published: 29 April 2021 doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2021.630400
• Alejandro Argumedo, Yiching Song, Colin K Khoury, Danny Hunter, Hannes Dempewolf “Support Indigenous food system biocultural diversity” TLplanetaryhealth-D-20-00541 S2542-5196(20)30243-6 Embargo: Gold OA, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license
• Swiderska K, Argumedo A, Song Y, Rastogi A, Gurung N, Wekesa C (2018) Biocultural innovation: the key to global food security? IIED London.
• Reid H, Song Y, Zhang Y, Guanqi Li (2018) Reducing climate risk and poverty: why China needs ecosystem-based adaptation. IIED London. https://pubs.iied.org/17469IIED/
• Swiderska K, Reid H, Song Y et al (2018). Traditional Knowledge and Crop Varieties as Adaptation to Climate Change in Southwest China, the Bolivian Andes and Coastal Kenya. In Indigenous Knowledge for Climate Change Assessment and Adaptation. Cambridge University Press and UNESCO.
• Ely A, Geall S, Song Y (2016). Sustainable maize production and consumption in China: practices and politics in transition. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2016, 134(134):259-268.
• Resurrecci B, Song Y et al (2019). "In the shadow(s) of the Himalayan Mountains: Persistent gender and social exclusion in development". Chapter 14, HIMAP Comprehensive Climate change Assessment of the Hindu-Kush Himalayas, ICIMOD, Nepal.
• Song Y, Zhang Y, Song X, Swiderska K (2016). Smallholder farming systems in southwest China. Exploring key trends and innovations for resilience. IIED London. http://pubs.iied.org/14664IIED/
• Song Y, Zhang Y, Song X & Buckley L (2015) Emerging Biocultural Innovations for Climate Resilience in Southwest China. SIFOR qualitative baseline study. IIED, London
• Song Y, G Qi, Y Zhanga & R Vernooy (2013) Farmer cooperatives in China: diverse pathways to sustainable rural development, International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability
• Li J, Jiggins J, Song Y (2012) Changing the System from Within: Participatory Plant Breeding and ABS in China, Participatory Learning and Action 65, IIED, London.
• Li J , Leeuwis C, Bueren E T L V , Song Y, et al (2012). Contribution of action research to institutional innovation: a case study of access and benefit sharing (ABS) mechanisms in the participatory plant breeding (PPB) in Southwest China. International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology, 2012, 9(3/4):204.
• Li J, Lammerts van Bueren E, Huang K, Qin L & Song Y (2012). The potential of participatory hybrid breeding, International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability.
• Song Y, Zhang Y, Lammerts Van Bueren E (2012) Shaping Organic agriculture in China. Country Report, Ecology and Farming, 1.
• Song Y & J Li (2011) Fair access and benefit sharing of genetic resources and participatory plant breeding products: Designing appropriate policies and laws in rapidly changing China, IDRC, Ottawa.
• Song Y & Vernooy R (2010) (eds) Seeds and Synergies: Innovating Rural Development in China. Practical Action, http://publicwebsite.idrc.ca/
• Song Y & Vernooy R (2010) Seeds of Empowerment: Action Research in the Context of the Feminization of Agriculture in Southwest China, Gender, Technology and Development Journal.
• Li J & Song Y (2010) Use it or lose it: Protecting Traditional Knowledge, Genetic Resources and Customary Laws of Marginal Farmers in Southwest China, IIED, London.
• Song Y, S Zhang & R Vernooy (2009) Biodiversity conservation and crop improvement in a fragile agro-ecosystem: insights from Guangxi, China, Mountain Forum Bulletin, Vol IX, Issue 2
• Song, Y. (2009) Manual for gender mainstreaming in IFAD projects in China. IFAD, Rome
• Vernooy R, Y Song & Li J (2007) A fair share of knowledge, rights, and benefits: supporting local agricultural innovation – a case study from China, In Special issue of Asia Pacific Tech Monitor, Mar-Apr, Hong Kong.
• Vernooy R & Song Y (2005) New Approaches to Supporting the Agricultural Biodiversity Important for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods In Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development 2, no 1, 55–66, London.
• Song Y (2003) Formal System and farmers’ System: the impact of maize germplasm in Southwest China. In: S. Mathur and D. Pachico (eds.) Agricultural Research and Poverty Reduction: Some Issues and Evidence. Cali: CIAT, 173-189.
• Song Y & Zhang L, with Vernooy R (2005). Empowering Women Farmers and Strengthening the Local Seed System: action research in Guangxi, China”. Chapter 5 in Gender and Social Analysis. IDRC, Canada.