In Nanbanghe village of Pu'er, Yunnan province, a unique solution called the "elephant canteen" is helping farmers coexist with wild Asian elephants. The canteen is not a physical structure but a designated area planted with crops like sweet corn, sugarcane, and pineapple that attract elephants, steering them away from residential homes and higher-value farmland.
The initiative began in 2018 when villagers leased their land to forestry authorities, earning a steady rent of 4,500 yuan per hectare annually. By 2023, the network of food source bases spanned 800 hectares. Even after government funding ended, villagers continued planting these crops, as compensation standards improved significantly. For example, damaged corn is now compensated at 15,255 yuan per hectare per season.
While the system has reduced conflicts, it does not cover all losses. Villagers like Yang Zhongping and Bai Xiao have experienced damage to economic crops like coffee, where compensation often falls short. To bridge this gap, wildlife liability insurance and financial tools such as loan extensions and adjusted repayment plans are provided. Local banks have also developed coffee-related credit products to support farmers.
The approach encourages farmers to grow lower-cost crops like corn and sugarcane as elephant food while developing higher-value crops like coffee on surrounding slopes. This strategy has led to a 45.56 percent year-on-year increase in outstanding bank loans to Pu'er's coffee sector, reaching nearly 3.2 billion yuan by midyear. The weighted average interest rate on newly issued loans in Pu'er was 3.55 percent during the first half of 2026.