December 3-7, the CICA Modern Agricultural Technology and Value Chain

Development Training and Workshop, funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, supported by the Department of International Cooperation (DIC) of CAAS and co-organized by CIAR and AII-CAAS, was held in Beijing.

80 participants from 17 CICA member countries and international organizations took part in the event. H.E. Ambassador Gu Ziping, Mr. Bulat Zhaksygaliyev from CICA Secretariat and Dr. Hao Weiping, DDG of the Department of International Cooperation of CAAS and Dr. Nie Fengying, DDG of CIAR and DDG of AII, CAAS presented at the opening ceremony.

Lecturers from IFAD, FAO, DIC-CAAS, CIAR and IARRP-CAAS gave presentations on value chain development and smart agriculture, covering topics such as inclusive agri-food value chain for poverty reduction, future smart food and the zero hunger initiative, China’s agriculture in transition, global food security, nutrition and poverty status, as well as the science and technology innovation in smart agriculture in China. Dr. Suhas Wani, former Director of ICRISAT Development Center chaired a policy dialogue session, where a cooperation proposal put forward by CIAR was adopted and the Network on Agriculture Value Chain Development under CICA Regime was signed subsequently.

Participants also shared their experience related to the training topics, such as the Saffron market in Iran and the Agricultural Credit Cooperatives in Turkey, etc. Apart from in-classroom training, they also paid visits to the Agri-Garden Modern Agricultural Demonstration Park, the National Gene Bank of Germplasms Resources, National Agricultural Libaray and the Deqingyuan Ecological Company in the suburb of Beijin.