The UN Food and Agriculture Organization recently recognized three sites in China as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on May 24.

The three sites are an ancient tea-producing area in Anxi county in Fujian province, a nomadic livestock rearing area in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, and a rain-fed stone terrace farming system in Shexian county in Hebei province.

To date, 18 sites in China have been added to the FAO's list of global agricultural heritage systems. The network now consists of 65 systems in 22 countries around the world, making China the largest single contributor to the list.

The three sites were designated via online assessment in Rome last week, and were recognized for their traditional practices and knowledge and maintenance of biodiversity and the ecosystem, the FAO said.