Forum on Digital Technology Empowering Rural Transformation

A recording of these remarks can be found on YouTube and Tencent Video

Thank you, Mr. Zheng Wenhua, Moderator, Vice President of the China Internet Information Center,

Distinguished, Mr. Gao Anming, Vice President and Editor-in-chief of the China International Communications Group,

My United Nations Colleagues,

Excellencies, Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good afternoon,

First of all, I would like to thank the China Internet Information Center (CIIC), FAO China, IFAD China, WFP China, and ESCAP-CSAM, for the invitation to address the 2022 International Forum on Sci-Tech Empowering Rural Transformation: Digital Technology Empowers Agricultural Value Chain Development.

The global agri-food system is at a crossroad. The food and agricultural sector will need to feed 9.6 billion people on the planet by 2050 - against a backdrop of changed dietary patterns, increased pressure on natural resources, the loss of biodiversity, and the uncertainties associated with climate change.

To address the challenges to food security and agricultural production we are facing today, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, we must pay attention to the scientific technologies and digital transformation that are changing the agriculture.

It has been demonstrated through practices such as “cloud classroom”, the use of drones to spray pesticides, and the use of livestreams to sell agricultural products. Chinese people have already advanced their knowledge of science and technology to foster rural development. Future of agriculture and food systems is technology-intensive, which requires transformation and upgrading of current system to a more innovative and smarter platform not only serving the urban but also rural areas. 

The United Nations, the Rome-based Agencies and CSAM, along with Chinese partners, CIIC, have initiated the thematic study and knowledge sharing Initiative in the subject of Sci-Tech Empowering Rural Transformation, to further facilitate empowerment of digital technologies, contributing towards more productive, resilient and sustainable agriculture food systems.

We believe that everyone can play a part in empowering rural transformation, by adopting smart innovations and digital technologies to contribute as part of the solutions. The spread of Sci-Tech such as mobile technologies, remote-sensing services and distributed computing are already improving smallholders’ access to information, inputs, market and capacity building.

The UN Deputy Secretary-General Ms. Amina Mohammed in a Video Message to International Forum on Hybrid Rice Assistance and Global Food Security hosted by China International Development Cooperation Agency, CIDCA, said that, “By merging cutting-edge and forward-looking technologies with traditional agricultural methods we can enhance cooperation and strengthen global food security for all, especially for rural households and women farmers. Science and technology must be equitably harnessed to achieve SDG 2, reduce inequalities and promote economic growth and decent livelihoods.”

It is recognized that technologies can also support farmers to anticipate and respond to pest attacks, crop failures and climatic changes through timely weather-based agro-advisory messages.

Overall, the real impact of digital technologies on the agriculture and food industry will be more evident in the years to come when they become widely accepted by all involved actors, and their usage reaches a critical scale. I firmly believe that, digital application in agriculture is offering an exciting chance of a new round of agricultural revolution, and by far beyond just the agricultural sector.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This Forum provides a useful platform to bring together leading scientists and agricultural stakeholders to discuss, share, and explore solutions on Sci-Tech empowered rural transformation and development of agricultural value chains, so as to cope with the challenges, embrace new technologies, and form a set of practical, cost-saving and efficiency-enhancing technology models and solutions of digital agriculture. These efforts inclusively contribute to seize the broader market and explore innovative approaches in the development of rural transformation.

I would like to congratulate the China Internet Information Center (CIIC), FAO, IFAD, WFP, ESCAP-CSAM, and all the partners for your pioneering and innovative work in promoting Sci-Tech in rural transformation empowerment.

Your dedication in studying and researching the agri-food related technologies are key to driving the rural transformation; agricultural value chain development, rural economies, communities and natural resource management that we need. More significantly, your efforts are also aimed at engineering south-south and triangular cooperation in the subject area, thus promoting agriculture and rural development in other developing countries. This well illustrated the value proposition of UN agencies in China. 

I trust that the constructive comments, discussions, and exchanges shared by participants will lay a solid foundation for the promotion of sci-tech based rural transformation in China and beyond.

China with 9% of the world’s arable land, feeds 1.4 billion people. There are important lessons we the UN can share about China’s embrace of big data, technology and innovation to improve food systems with the rest of the developing world. Just imagine the potential there is in the African continent which has 60% of the world’s arable land. Here the UN can act as a convener, connector and catalyzer.

The collaboration among the UN system, governments, and academia will be significant in enabling adequate environments for innovations and further technological development. On this occasion, the United Nations in China is willing to collaborate with all the stakeholders in creating the enabling environment, harnessing the technologies, and building up capacities needed for the promotion of Sci-Tech to empower rural transformation.

To conclude, I wish the forum a great success.

Thank you all.