On October 11, the China-CGIAR High Level Dialogue, jointly organized by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), was held in Beijing.

The Dialogue highlighted that the cooperation between China and CGIAR spanned half a century, establishing a stable and in-depth partnership covering multiple agricultural sectors with diverse and robust collaborative models. It was emphasized that the China-CGIAR collaboration should upgrade at three aspects: transitioning from project-based cooperation to co-designing global scientific programs; building integrated innovation platforms; and moving from traditional fields towards frontier areas, e.g. climate-resilient agriculture. China remains committed to the concept of open cooperation and is willing to join hands with CGIAR to inject scientific and technological momentum into global food security.

The Dialogue fully acknowledged the significant achievements in joint research, technology promotion and capacity building, affirming the need to continuously deepen strategic collaboration and promote agricultural sci-tech innovation and technology transfer. In the future, the two sides will focus on deepening cooperation in areas such as sustainable farming system, climate resilience, sustainable animal and aquatic production, and policy innovation. Through aligning research projects, strengthening South-South cooperation, and integrating resources, both sides will support the development of smallholder farming communities worldwide and jointly build a more resilient agricultural and food system.

Attending the opening ceremony and delivering speeches were Dr. Patrick Caron, Chair of Integrated Partnership Board of CGIAR; Mr. Ni Quaye-Kumah, Representative of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in China; Ms. Wang Xiao, Deputy Director General of the Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China; and Mr. Chen Zhiyang, Deputy Director General of the Department of International Trade & Economic Affairs, Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China. Dr. Ismahane Elouafi, Executive Managing Director of CGIAR, delivered a video address. Representatives from the Gates Foundation, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), the China Scholarship Council (CSC), and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) participated in the Dialogue, sharing their experience and suggestions for cooperation with CGIAR.

Prof. Huang Sanwen, President of CAAS, attended the Dialogue, and the opening ceremony was presided over by Vice President Cao Yongsheng. More than 100 experts and scholars participated in the Dialogue, including representatives from the CGIAR headquarters, its 11 centers and alliances, the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS), the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences (CAFS), as well as universities and local academies of agricultural sciences.

By Zhangjiaqi (zhangjiaqi02@caas.cn)