"Youth Action on Green Agri-Heritage: Global Cultural Symbiosis" Event Held in Shanghai
Shanghai - On Aug. 12, the opening ceremony of the Youth Action on Green Agri-Heritage: Global Cultural Symbiosis officially began in Shanghai, coinciding with International Youth Day. The event was designed to connect China’s agricultural cultural heritage and global youth-driven innovation via field visits, international youth roundtable dialogues, co-creation camps designed to inspire young participants through collaborative practice and nurture a new generation of creators with global communication influence with the involvement of renowned visual design mentors that infuse the events with diverse artistic perspectives, and other endeavors.
The theme for the 2025 International Youth Day is “Local Youth Actions for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Beyond.” It also marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the World Programme of Action for Youth (WPAY) – the first action plan on policies and programs for youth – which aligns closely with the Youth Action on Green Agri-Heritage: Global Cultural Symbiosis and the corresponding goal of promoting youth participation in cultural heritage conservation. The opening ceremony in the Shanghai People's City Practice Exhibition Hall presented a vivid picture of how Shanghai is striving to build itself into a best practice zone for people-centered urban development.
At the opening ceremony, Gao Anming, editor-in-chief of the China International Communications Group and director of the China Internet Information Center (CIIC), stated that China, as the country with the largest number of “Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems” (GIAHS), has always contributed to the world with the Eastern wisdom of living heritage + industrial empowerment. He stressed that agricultural heritage is by no means a static museum exhibit, but a source of human wisdom in addressing challenges.
Zhou Lijin from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Representation in China delivered opening remarks during the launch ceremony. She said that youth are not merely the inheritors and beneficiaries of agricultural heritage. Recognizing youth as drivers of change is key to promoting their engagement and employment in agri-food systems. The World Food Forum China (WFF China) offers a critical platform to engage young people with passion and creativity, incubate youth-led innovation, and drive sustainable agricultural development. Through sharing innovative experiences from heritage sites, this event encourages young participants to break conventions, discuss social, economic, and environmental issues in depth, and offer youth-driven solutions for the sustainable innovation of agricultural heritage systems.
In her remarks, Zeng Zixin from the Center of International Cooperation Service (CICOS) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said as of August 2025, China has 25 GIAHS, ranking first in the world. “We will keep on conserving, utilizing, passing on, and developing China’s agricultural heritages. By unlocking their economic, social, cultural, ecological, and scientific potential, we aim to leverage China's GIAHS for rural revitalization, contributing to global food security and the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," she said.
The WFF China and the CIIC officially launched the Youth Action on Green Agri-Heritage: Global Cultural Symbiosis program on Aug. 12th, with to establish a series of activities focused on cultural exchange and mutual learning of GIAHS and fostering multi-stakeholder engagement from UN agencies, agricultural departments from multiple countries, media, authoritative experts, public figures, and youth participants. The initiative will unfold through exchanges and video releases of youth-driven innovations related to agricultural heritage, with activities held in Shanghai of China, Jeju Island of South d of South Korea, Vientiane of Laos, and Rome of Italy.
Min Qingwen, researcher of the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and director of the GIAHS Expert Committee, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, delivered a keynote speech on GIAHS and its protection. He emphasized systematic, living, and dynamic characteristics of agricultural cultural heritage as well as its multi-functional value. He believes that it is necessary to inject new vitality into rural areas and that the dynamic protection and sustainable development of agricultural cultural heritage may be achieved through the participation of young people.
During the event, a special visual screening section showcased the beauty of farming. A team of international youth delegates led by Takeuchi Ryo filmed a documentary on site, breathing new life into agricultural heritage via art and technology.
The Shanghai Youth Action on Green Agri-Heritage: Global Cultural Symbiosis events were hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Representation in China, the WFF China, and the CIIC, with the FAO, Pinduoduo, and the China Agricultural Science and Education Foundation (CASEF) serving as project partners, and organized by the China Education Support Programme, with support from Shanghai Food and Strategic Reserves Administration and the Yangpu District People's Government. About 80 participants attended the event, which included government officials, representatives from consulates and international organizations based in Shanghai, expert mentors, and youth delegates from China, Laos, Mongolia, and 11 other countries. Additionally, representatives from the media were present.