[Survey report on understory TCM bases: profit models and development recommendations]

Supported by the "Policy Research Project on Understory TCM Cultivation" of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the project team conducted field investigations across 72 understory TCM bases in 46 counties and districts spanning 15 provinces(municipalities, autonomous regions), covering 40 TCM species, and carried out policy interviews and surveys with relevant provincial-level administrative departments. The paper analyzed the regional development experience regarding(understory) TCM in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Jilin. These regions, through high-level policy promotion, scientific planning, and systematic support, developed replicable practical experience in industrial layout, financial support, technical services, and market system construction. The paper summarized the strong adaptability demonstrated by TCM with long cultivation histories or strong growth momentum, such as Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Epimedii Folium, Gastrodiae Rhizoma, and Polygonati Rhizoma, in understory cultivation, and also pointed out challenges they face in technology, market, and quality control. The study identified eight profit models of five types, including resource-driven, natural ecology adaptation, industrial chain improvement, project-driven, and order-oriented models, providing diverse development path references for different regions and entities. Based on these findings, this study recommended that future efforts should strengthen targeted policy guidance, technological innovation, and industrial chain collaboration to promote the high-quality development of the understory TCM industry, ultimately achieving the dual goals of ecological protection and industrial revitalization.