Poverty alleviation documentary sheds light on progress

Recently, it teamed up with the Alibaba-backed Alifish crowdfunding platform to launch a pilot poverty relief program, marketing the honey produced by the beekeepers in the Changqing National Nature Reserve in Northwest China’s Shaanxi province.

The story of the honey, given the brand name of Panda, is told in the documentary’s second episode where National Geographic host Chris Bashinelli meets ranger and beekeeper Peng Haibo, a resident in the reserve. The area is home to multiple rare animal species and nearly 20 percent of the world’s wild pandas.

Peng, who used to have to make ends meet by poaching in the nature reserve, has witnessed profound changes to his life in recent years. As the local government launched a scheme to target special financial aid to poor families like Peng’s in the area, Peng was trained by the nature reserve to become a ranger.

Going from poacher to protector, Peng relishes his new role, where he can capitalize on his rich knowledge of his birthplace and make a stable income.

He has also seen his income increase because an environmental charity has taught him to produce high-quality honey on a commercial scale.

With the slogan “by nature, for nature”, Peng and other local beekeepers have discovered the honey, branded Panda, commands a premium price across China.

Yang Xiaoyu contributed to this story.