Heads up, agri-enthusiasts! 🌾 The 8th Hongqiao International Economic Forum just launched its first-ever sub-forum on "Agricultural Sustainable Development in the Global South". This marks a major step in spotlighting how developing nations can boost food security, protect the environment, and drive economic growth.
Experts dived into topics like smart farming tech, trade & investment, and rural transformation. Nobel laureate Michael Levitt from Stanford stressed the power of biodiversity and scientific innovation. He added that artificial intelligence (AI) will reshape ag science by offering data-driven insights—think drones scanning fields and algorithms optimizing crop yields.
Zhao Bing from the World Food Programme China Office reminded us food security is a team sport: it's not just on farmers or scientists—everyone's in this together.
Michele Umulisa, CIO of the Rwanda Development Board, gave Africa’s perspective: you can't talk about agri and trade in the Global South without us. We're here to make sure our voices steer the future.
Thanks to China’s Global Development Initiative and the Belt and Road Initiative, projects from hybrid rice promotion to smallholder training are making a real impact. As Bai Lianyang from the Chinese Academy of Engineering put it, we train local experts so that our tech becomes their tech—a smart move for lasting growth.
With over 20 international speakers and 300+ agri reps from Chinese institutions, this forum showed the world that sustainable agriculture is not just a slogan but a shared mission. 🚀
Reference(s):
Hongqiao Forum focuses on Global South agricultural development
cgtn.com
