An event named "Defend the Black Soil " hosted by China Jilin Network Information Office held a launch ceremony in Lishu county, Siping city, Northeast China's Jilin province on July 20. 

Black soil, which is also known as black earth or black land, is a fertile soil  mainly seen in Northeast China. People describe the fertility of this land as "where even a chopstick sprouts". However, due to long-term over-exploitation and utilization, climate change and other factors, the soil's organic matter in the cultivated layer has decreased by one-third to one-half in the last 60 years.

The launch ceremony showed the measures and achievements of implementing black land protection in Jilin province through songs and dances, Er Ren Zhuan (a song-and-dance duet popular in the Northeast of China )and video clips with local characteristics. Shi Yugang, a member of the Standing Committee of Jilin provincial Party committee and minister of publicity, said in his speech that the purpose of holding this network theme activity is to effectively protect and make good use of black earth and resolutely shoulder the important task of maintaining national food security.