Ministerial Session of 36th FAO Asia and Pacific Regional Conference Held
16 March 2022, China: The Ministerial Session of the 36th Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations(FAO) was held in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, from Mar. 10 to 11. Ma Youxiang, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China (MARA), led the Chinese delegation to participate via video conference and shared China’s position on priority development areas of member countries and the region. Zeng Yande, Chief Agronomist of MARA, attended the Ministerial Roundtable.
Ma pointed out that China appreciates FAO’s efforts in building consensus on priority development areas in Asia and the Pacific region to cope with various risks and challenges such as pandemics and disasters. China attaches great importance to food and agricultural production, comprehensively implements a strategy of rural revitalization, and actively pushes for all-round agriculture upgrading, rural progress and farmer development.
Ma put forward three proposals for safeguarding food security in Asia and the Pacific region:
1) Continue to prioritize the development of agriculture and rural affairs; actively support the Global Development Initiative; ensure investment, factor allocation, basic public services and talent allocation on a priority basis; and spare no effort in addressing poverty and food security issues.
2) Stick to green agricultural development, actively support FAO’s Global Strategy, propel transformation of the food system, and choose the path of sustainable development, which saves resources and is environmentally friendly.
3) Strengthen regional coordination, and conduct pragmatic cooperation in prevention and control of animal and plant diseases, soil health, protection of agricultural heritages, and agricultural services, so as to jointly improve food security in Asia and the Pacific region.
Under the theme of “greener and better agrifood systems after COVID-19,” Zeng mainly introduced China’s strategy of increasing grain production through farmland management and technological progress, and shared practices and experience in promoting green agricultural development and advancing opening-up and cooperation in agriculture.
Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Qu Dongyu, FAO Director-General, and delegations from 42 member countries of Asia and the Pacific region attended the conference.
