Recently, the Seminar on Grassland Conservation and Sustainable Livestock Development for BRI Partner Countries successfully kicked off in Hohhot. It hosted by the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China (MOFCOM), and co-organized by MOFCOM's Academy for International Business Officials (hereinafter referred to as the AIBO), the Agricultural Information Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (hereinafter referred to as the AII of CAAS), the Center for International Agricultural Research of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (hereinafter referred to as the CIAR of CAAS), and the Institute of Grassland Research of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (hereinafter referred to as the IGR of CAAS). Mr. Yang Shengyan, Division Director of the AIBO, Dai Xin, Deputy Director of the AII of CAAS, and Li Ping, member of the Party Group of IGR of CAAS, attended the opening ceremony. The seminar has started with the lecture ‘Overview of China’ by Wang Chuan, deputy director of the IGR of CAAS. The seminar was themed ‘grassland protection and sustainable livestock development’, which has invited well-known experts and professionals from the AII of CAAS, IGR of CAAS, Inner Mongolia University, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Institute of Water Resources for Pastoral Areas of the Ministry of Water Resources to present the cutting-edge technologies and research outcomes of grassland protection and sustainable livestock development. 29 participants from seven countries, including Turkey, Laos, Kenya, Solomon Islands, Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania, will spend 14 days in China for training and exchange activities.

On behalf of the MOFCOM, Director Yang Shengyan warmly welcomed all the participants and expressed his hope that this seminar will further deepen the cooperation and exchanges in the field of grassland and animal husbandry between China and the BRI partner countries, jointly promote the transformation of animal husbandry to a greener, more efficient and sustainable direction, which will help to achieve the goals of global food security and ecological balance.

Deputy Director Dai Xin said that the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) has strong scientific prowess and technical reserves, and has integrated and innovated a series of advanced technologies and achievements in the sustainable development of grassland and animal husbandry, including the selection and breeding of excellent pasture varieties, high-efficiency grazing and forage-livestock balance management mode, green prevention and control of grassland diseases, pests and rodents, and restoration of degraded grassland, etc., and he hoped that the seminar could provide experience, reference and technical support for the high quality development of grassland and animal husbandry in the BRI partner countries, and create a better future for the prosperity of grassland and animal husbandry.

On behalf of the IGR-CAAS, Li Ping, member of the Party Group of the IGR-CAAS, expressed her thanks to the MOFCOM and welcomed the participants from all over the world to come to Hohhot for exchanges. She stressed that the successful holding of the seminar reflects the international attention for grassland protection and sustainable development of animal husbandry, and highlights the common responsibility and mission of different countries in this field. It is also hoped that the seminar will further enhance mutual trust and broaden friendship, and the exchange mode of the seminar will be like a ‘chain reaction’, which will open up new perspectives and broader paths for the sustainable development of grassland conservation and animal husbandry, and bring infinite vitality to cooperation among BRI countries in the future.

Lovince Asimwe Rwiguza, Director of Grazing Land and Animal Feed Resources in the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Tanzania, and Professor Kagan Kokten, Sivas Science and Technology University, Turkey, made statements as representatives of the participants. They said that grassland is not only the cornerstone of animal husbandry, but also plays a vital role in maintaining ecological balance, conserving biodiversity and supporting rural livelihoods. They hoped that all participants could learn, share and gain knowledge and experience in grassland conservation, and jointly explore new opportunities for future cooperation through this seminar.

During the seminar, the IGR-CAAS has selected representative grassland areas and diverse ecosystems for participants to have in-depth field visits and surveys. Participants will go to the grassland and gain a deeper understanding of the intrinsic connection between grassland conservation and sustainable development of animal husbandry, and balance between economic development and ecological protection in practice. In addition, participants will visit projects in different regions and ecosystems that have achieved remarkable results in water resource management, new energy development, ecological restoration and biotechnology application, and have an in-depth experience and understanding of the coping strategies and implementation measures for different regions and ecosystems.

The successful holding of this seminar is importance for the IGR-CAAS to deepen the cooperation with the BRI countries, to promote the exchanges of talents and technologies, to accelerate the development of grassland ecological protection and sustainable development of animal husbandry, and to build a innovation model of global cooperation in grassland protection and animal husbandry. This is not only an international dissemination of China's experience in the protection and rational use of grassland resources, but also an important measure to promote the health of the global grassland ecosystem, promote the transformation and upgrading of the livestock industry, and achieve the coordinated development of the economy, society and the environment.