Located at the most southern point of Shaanxi Province, Zhenping County is bestowed with rich natural resources, boasting a high forest cover rate of 86.4% and a vast area of over 400,000 mu or 26，667 hectare fit for growing as many as 420 herbal medicines. However, due to the primitive and extensive cultivation methods and consequently the low market share of its herbal products and poor revenues for local herb farmers, it has remained an extremely impoverished county.
Since the end of 2012, China Pharmaceutical University has helped to alleviate poverty in Zhenping County. Combining its advantages in academic disciplines, researchers, technologies and information with the county’s natural resource advantage, the university has achieved substantial results in poverty reduction and gained wide acclaim from the local government, local businesses and communities.
Over the past few years, the university has focused on improving transportation and mobility and increasing income generating opportunities for locals. An investment of 34.5 million RMB has been made in the transportation improvement project, resulting in the completion of the Friendship Bridge, the Baituling Hydropower Station Dam, the Baituling Bridge and 10-kilometer rural roads in the region. In 2018, the anti-poverty program lifted 1,333 people or 561 households in 8 villages out of poverty, bringing a total compensation of 3 million RMB to the beneficiaries.
Relentless efforts to fight against poverty with new development philosophies. China Pharmaceutical University has put into practice the principles of innovation, coordination, eco-friendliness, openness and development that is for all. To explore an effective long-term mechanism for targeted poverty relief, it has provided forward-looking plans and high-quality technological support to the local government and local businesses. It has also worked to promote the integration of the primary, secondary and tertiary industries and the concerted and balanced development in urban and rural areas. Through sustainable exploitation of natural resources and sound development of herbal medicines, it has boosted the income of local people and the performance of local businesses and improved local environment. While attracting private-sector resources, including funding and technologies from overseas, into the poverty alleviation program, it has facilitated mutual assistance and the sharing of resources with the county.
Special priority and full implementation leading to high effectiveness. The university gave special priority to assisting the Zhenping County in poverty alleviation and provided major input to the development of local traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) industry. With an emphasis on Party building work, the Party committees of concerned schools and departments signed cooperation agreements with the Party committees of various towns in the county. As victory has been won at all stages of the battle against poverty, the university has earned wide recognition and support from the local government, local businesses and the public, and established an effective poverty relief model, bringing together parties in both public and private sectors and giving rise to win-win opportunities where all parties benefit.
