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China's agricultural digitization, in action.

01/07/2019

Historically, agriculture has undergone a series of changes that have led to an unprecedented increase in agricultural productivity, yield and profitability. Nowadays, digitalization has become the latest trend in agriculture. New terms such as the Internet, big data analysis, e-commerce and blockchain are changing the traditional food system.

Today, the China-United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's South-South Cooperation Framework for Digital Agriculture Capacity Building was officially opened. The seminar was co-sponsored by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural China and hosted by the International Exchange Service Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural China. 17 representatives from government agencies, international agencies, agricultural associations, financing institutions and the private sector in Morocco, Kenya, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Pakistan gathered in Beijing to discuss how to promote digital agriculture through South-South cooperation and agricultural investment projects Development in their respective countries.

“As a UN specialized agency in the field of agriculture and food safety, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization has been active at the forefront of digital agriculture, and FAO is also leading international efforts to reduce the gap between rich and poor, between urban and rural areas, and on large farms. The digital divide between small farms, because we need to ensure that 'no one is left behind'," said FAO's representative in China and North Korea, Ma Wensen, in his opening speech. He quoted Dr. Qu Dongyu, the newly elected Director-General of FAO, as saying: “The digital agriculture and digital rural construction are one of FAO's main initiatives in the future. We must embrace the digital age and bridge the digital divide.”

In the past ten years, China has been bravely on the road to innovation, including agricultural innovation. Wei Zhenglin, deputy director of the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural China, stressed: "The Chinese government attaches great importance to the development of digital agriculture. In recent years, digital technology has been widely used and played an active role in China's agricultural and rural areas. Digital agriculture and rural construction have achieved new results. Progress. In 2018, China's agricultural product network retail sales reached 230.5 billion yuan." He hoped that delegates could strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the field of digital agriculture through the seminar under the framework of FAO's South-South cooperation

In addition to technical and policy support, the development of agricultural innovation is also inseparable from financial support. At present, the FAO Investment Centre is working with a number of international financial institutions such as the World Bank, EBRD, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Caribbean Development Bank, and the Global Climate Fund to design and implement investment projects in digital agriculture in developing countries. The Chinese government's policies and experience in promoting agricultural digitization will be of great significance to other developing countries.

The Chief of the Asia-Pacific Division of the FAO Investment Center, Mr. Takayuki Hagiwara said at the meeting, "This seminar is an important activity to implement the newly elected Director-General Dr. Qu Dongyu's campaign promise, which can further understand the needs and advantages of all parties and explore the South-South Cooperation, North-South cooperation and other means to strengthen technology sharing and policy exchange, so that investment centers can better cooperate with international financial institutions, promote the development of digital agriculture in member countries through investment projects, and help the early realization of sustainable development goals."

The seminar will last for six days. After the opening ceremony, delegates will travel to the Institute of Agricultural Resources and Agricultural Regional Planning of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the Institute of Geographical Remote Sensing of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Freshwater Fisheries Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, and the National Science and Technology Equipment of the National Science and Technology Department in Beijing, Wuxi and Hangzhou. Co., Ltd., Beyondsoft, Top Yunnon and Alibaba Group are learning and communicating around agricultural digitalization

 

 

Photo credit FAO China WeiboChat