The Institute for Integrated Rural Development, Hong Kong (IRD) (http://www.harvest.org.hk), a registered public charity, aims at promoting social, cultural, and economic development in poverty-stricken regions of China, through financial support, research, and project development. IRD has been supporting students in rural Hunan since 1995. Since 2002, IRD has initiated a series of new projects on teacher training, teacher subsidy, health care, and economic development. Baojing and Kucheung Counties in Hunan Province, and Luochuan County in Shanxi Province, all poverty-stricken counties by the State Council standards, are our current project areas.

IRD has started a social enterprise, GoHarvest Travel Ltd. (http://www.goharvest-travel.com.hk) which is committed to promoting sustainable development through overseas and local themed tours and public education programmes.