Through participatory research with four traditional farming communities in Guangxi, S.W. China, the study aims to understand the customary laws and practices relevant for controlling external use of maize landraces and traditional knowledge. It aims to inform the development of national policies and laws, including the recognition of customary laws, the "Protection Regulation for New Plant Varieties", and ABS laws being developed by the Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA). Most of the people in the four villages are `minority' nationalities, such as Zhuang and Yao, with their own language and culture. These indigenous communities with multi-nationalities have rich TK, genetic resources and culture. They live in typical Karst remote mountain areas, with limited water and arable land and harsh natural conditions. The area is a centre of maize biodiversity, the origin of maize cultivation in China, and wax maize worldwide, and has plenty of medicinal plants in the mountain areas.
