On May 31st, the 2nd China-Africa on Tropical Agricultural Science and Technology Cooperation was held in Haikou. More than 50 representatives from agricultural research institutions in Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana, Mauritius, Liberia, Cameroon and other African countries and China, as well as the United Nations World Food Programme, attended the forum.
The opening ceremony
The forum was hosted by the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences(CATAS) and the Chinese Society of Tropical Crops(CSTC), with the support of the Hainan Association for science and technology and the China Office of the United Nations World Food Programme(WFP). Liu Jiang, director of the Asia-Africa division of the Department of international cooperation of the Ministry of agriculture and rural areas, Dr. Qu Sixi, representative of the United Nations World Food Programme in China, Dr. Celestine E. IKUENOBE, director of the Nigerian oil palm Institute, and Dr. Liu Guodao, vice president of CATAS / Chairman of CSTC, addressed the opening ceremony respectively.
The 2nd China-Africa Forum on Tropical Agricultural Science and Technology Cooperation
On behalf of the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of agriculture and rural areas, Liu Jiang congratulated on the smooth convening of the forum. He pointed out that strengthening China-Africa agricultural science and technology cooperation is of great significance to improving the global capacity for sustainable agricultural development and food security. To provide suggestions for the construction and development of China Africa agricultural cooperation and joint center.
Qu Sixi pointed out that the global food, energy and financial crisis and extreme climate have exacerbated the problem of global food security, especially in Africa. Therefore, South-South cooperation in agriculture is of great significance to the vast number of developing countries. He mentioned that CATAS is an important partner of the UN World Food Programme. The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on South South cooperation and carried out cooperation in the promotion of cassava value chain and tropical agricultural industry. The WFP will continue to strengthen cooperation with CATAS and other partners in achieving zero hunger and the United Nations 2030 sustainable development goals, so as to jointly promote world agricultural development. At the same time, Dr. Jia Yan, head of South-South cooperation of the WFP China Office, also introduced its cooperation with Africa and CATAS.
Dr. Celestine E. IKUENOBE reviewed the cooperative research and personnel training with CATAS in the fields of oil palm, date palm and coconut, and pointed out that we have common understanding and knowledge of tropical agriculture. The forum and the China-Africa tropical agricultural science and technology innovation alliance provided a good exchange and cooperation platform for China-Africa tropical agricultural research institutions. It is hoped to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation in agricultural science and technology with CATAS and ohter agricultural research institutions in China and Africa through exchanges and establish long-term cooperative relations.
Liu Guodao introduced that CATAS has signed cooperation agreements with 11 African countries and 15 agricultural science and education institutions to establish stable cooperative relations. CATAS undertook the construction of an agricultural technology demonstration center in the Republic of the Congo, initiated the establishment of the China Africa tropical agricultural science and technology innovation alliance, and promoted a large number of new technologies, products and equipment for Africa. 50 agricultural technology training courses for Africa have been held, and 1486 agricultural technology officials and technicians have been trained for 40 African countries. CATAS has received 20 young doctors from Nigeria, Egypt, Cameroon, Sudan and other countries to carry out medium and long-term exchange visits and degree studies. CATAS will, as always, strengthen agricultural science and technology cooperation with African countries, provide rich and diverse scientific and technological support for agricultural production and operation entities of different types and scales in African countries through technological innovation and research, and promote the high-quality development of China-Africa agricultural cooperation.
With the theme of "strengthening China-Africa scientific and technological collaborative innovation and jointly building a smart valley for international cooperation in tropical agriculture", the forum focused on the development and scientific needs of tropical agricultural science and technology,. The discussion were centred around the industries and technologies of tropical crops such as cassava, corn, oil palm, cocoa, sugarcane and cashew nuts, as well as aquatic products and biogas. Experts from the CATAS, the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, the Biogas Research Institute of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Areas, Yangling agricultural high-tech industry demonstration zone, Huazhong Agricultural University, the Horticultural Research Institute of the Egyptian Agricultural Research Center, the Nigerian Oil Palm Research Institute, the Ghana Cocoa Commission, the Mauritius Sugarcane Industry Research Institute and the Central Agricultural Research Institute of Liberia made special reports on tropical agricultural industry and science and technology.
This forum is a practical action to implement the spirit of of President Xi Jinping’s speech at the opening ceremony of the eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa cooperation. It is also an important activity to implement the objectives and tasks of the China-Africa Joint Center for modern agricultural technology exchange, demonstration and training and the China Africa Tropical Agricultural Science and technology innovation alliance. It plays an important role in promoting China-Africa tropical agricultural science and technology exchange and cooperation.
