Research in China and Iran highlights how land size, shared services, and traditional wisdom shape sustainable livelihoods

Rural families worldwide rely on forests and ecosystems for food, fuel, income and cultural identity. But with shrinking landholdings, youth migration, ageing populations and mounting environmental pressures, both livelihoods and landscapes are under stress.

Two new studies published in Scientific Reports on 26 August 2025 suggest that larger, consolidated landholdings and traditional ecological knowledge can help rural communities adapt—provided they are supported by modern shared services and strong environmental safeguards.

In China, researchers led by Longjunjiang Huang of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law studied 505 rural households across ten counties in Jiangxi Province between 2017 and 2018. They assessed ‘Forestland Management Efficiency’ by comparing inputs such as land, money and labour with forestry incomes. Contrary to the belief that larger plots reduce benefits, households with more forestlands were found to be consistently more efficient. The key driver was access to collective services, including machinery, technical support and pooled labour, which lowered costs and offset labour shortages.

The Iranian study, conducted in semi-arid Bardsir County by Azam Khosravi Mashizi of the University of Jiroft and Francisco Escobedo, combined ecological data, GIS mapping and interviews with 315 residents. Using Structural Equation Modelling, they linked habitat quality and traditional ecological knowledge to services such as water yield, soil stability, beekeeping, medicinal plants and cultural practices. Areas with healthier ecosystems and stronger traditional knowledge provided greater benefits, with the most robust outcomes seen where both factors worked together.

Taken together, the findings underline that larger plots alone do not secure productivity unless paired with collective services that lower risks and costs. Equally, traditional wisdom remains valuable but depends on the health of the land itself. The authors argue that future strategies should weave modern science with local knowledge, as neither can ensure sustainability in isolation.

For India, the lessons resonate strongly. Forest-dependent communities in states such as Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha face similar pressures from fragmented landholdings, migration and environmental stress. Programmes that combine agroforestry, common service centres and the revival of local ecological knowledge could strengthen both rural incomes and ecosystem resilience. The research reinforces that sustainable rural futures depend not only on conserving land but also on empowering communities with the tools and traditions to manage it collectively.