Four decades of land restoration earn Yin Yuzhen UN recognition

Working with her family, local communities and government support, Yin Yuzhen has helped restore about 46 square kilometres of sandy land in northern China over more than four decades. More than eight million trees have been planted through the effort, according to China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

On 15 October 2026, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recognised that persistence at a ceremony in Rome, naming Yin among its 100 Women Heroes in Agrifood Systems and Rural Development. Her work in Inner Mongolia's Mu Us Sandy Land has helped support agriculture and local livelihoods despite harsh conditions and shifting sands.

“This prize doesn't belong to me alone,” Yin said, crediting the many people who supported the work. Among those at the ceremony was retired US history teacher Ronald Sakolsky, who raised $5,000 to help her tree planting in the late 1990s. Their friendship has lasted about 27 years.

The FAO honours mark the International Year of the Woman Farmer, recognising women who produce food, protect natural resources and strengthen rural communities. The wider initiative also draws attention to persistent inequalities in women's access to land, finance, technology and decision-making.