On 19 June, Mr. Vincent Martin, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Representative in China, and Mr. Wei Zhenglin, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, jointly unveiled the FAO booth in the International Pavilion of the 2019 Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition (EXPO).  Memorial flowers were also planted at the UNESCO Garden at the EXPO.

The 2019 Beijing EXPO is the largest horticulture expo of its kind in the world, and has attracted exhibitors from 110 countries and international organizations. Its indoor displays and outdoor gardens highlight the integration of life and ecology. Three UN agencies – FAO, UNOPS, and UNESCO – decided to bring their own contribution to the EXPO.

“As the single largest sector using 60% of world’s ecosystems and providing livelihoods for 40% of today’s global population, greening the food and agriculture sector is critical to greening the planet, the economy and people’s lives. FAO believes that ‘Live Green, Live Better’ cannot be achieved without greening the value chains and the agriculture sector as a whole”, said Mr. Vincent Martin.

“Live Green, Live Better” is the theme of the EXPO 2019. In line with the EXPO theme, FAO will carry out a series of exhibitions and events around the theme of “Nourishing People, Nurturing Planet – A Green World Free from Hunger”. The aim is to raise the awareness of the public to global challenges encountered in meeting the future needs of the population in terms of food and nutrition.

At the unveiling ceremony, FAO staff presented the progress of FAO's projects and work in China. Mr. Wei Zhenglin commended the work done by FAO and said that FAO's work “has a clear goal and a clear strategy”, and hopes that the two sides will continue to maintain great cooperation in the future.

The 2019 Beijing EXPO will last until October 7. More than 2,500 cultural activities will be held during the exhibition, with an estimated 16 million visitors from around the world. In the following months, the FAO booth will address three topics through exhibitions and activities: “Sustainable Food Systems of the Future”, “Agriculture Going Digital”, and “FAO and China's Cooperation in International Agricultural Cooperation”.