06/07/2018, Rome, Italy -- FAO and Guangfa Securities (GFS), a leading Chinese securities company, signed an agreement to work together to reach the goal of ending poverty by 2030. GFS committed to contributing USD 1 million to cooperate with FAO to revitalize China’s rural areas in order to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Under this proposed agreement, the first of its kind between FAO and a Chinese private company, FAO and GFS aspire to deepen their collaboration by designing and carrying out innovative projects in remote counties. These projects would strengthen the knowledge and skills of farmers on smart and green agriculture. While still under discussion, this type of project - called SDG Village – seeks to positively impact farming communities that would otherwise be left behind.

“We believe that the SDG Village holds a lot of potential for China’s poverty reduction goals and for the prosperity of its agricultural sector,” said FAO Deputy Director-General Laurent Thomas. “China is facing numerous unprecedented challenges that require tailored and innovative approaches, working together in partnership with the private sector.”

 FAO has worked closely with the Government of China and other actors to empower smallholder farmers and promote sustainable agriculture over the past decades. As a for profit firm with a strong reputation in corporate social responsibility, GFS shares FAO’s mission of poverty eradication.

 “Both organizations would leverage their different expertise to establish a new model of agriculture that includes financing and e-commerce. The first goal is to help China achieve the SDGs and then present this model in other parts of the world,” said Sun Shuming, Chairman of GF Securities.

In the lead up to the agreement, Guangfa Securities had expressed its support to the Organization during FAO’s Investment Days Event. Held on 4^th July, with the theme Innovation for better investments, participants learned of the latest trends and thinking in financing aid in member countries. “FAO has always focused on reducing poverty globally by helping member countries develop their agricultural sectors. It has made a remarkable contribution that has benefitted billions of people around the world. GFS will continue to work with FAO in future and invest resources to help meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals in China and elsewhere in the world,” said Zhang Shaohua, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of GFS..

Guangfa Securities is a full-service investment bank in China. Since 2010, GFS been actively working with Chinese Government departments to develop and implement poverty reduction programmes and projects in impoverished regions of China.