Agricultural cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has emerged as an important channel for China to share agricultural development opportunities, alleviate global poverty and ensure global food security.

This was the core message among participating representatives at a recent seminar focusing on agricultural products market system building for Belt and Road participating countries.

Representatives from eight developing countries shared their respective country's agricultural cooperation efforts with China at the seminar sponsored by the Chinese government and organized by the Foreign Economic Cooperation Centre of the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Since 2013, China, through the BRI – which aims to strengthen infrastructure, trade and investment links – has established agricultural cooperation with many countries and various international organizations.

Ethiopian participants of the seminar said that under the BRI, China has made a lot of investments in Ethiopia, and has transferred a large amount of technological know-how, which improved Ethiopia's agricultural productivity and promoted Ethiopia's agricultural and rural development.

At present, more than 2,000 agricultural experts and technicians have been sent to over 70 countries and regions, and more than 1,500 agricultural technologies such as Juncao, which refers to the Chinese-invented fungi growing technique, and hybrid rice, have been introduced to many of these countries, according to a white paper released by China's State Council Information Office in October. 

Economic and trade cooperation has also steadily deepened, with China's investment in partner countries' agricultural sectors exceeding $14 billion and annual two-way trade reaching $139.4 billion, according to Ma Youxiang, vice minister of the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

"The bilateral agricultural investment and trade between China and Bulgaria are strong, with bilateral agricultural trade the fastest growing foreign trade for Bulgaria, accounting for nearly one-sixth of the total trade volume between China and Bulgaria in 2022," said a Bulgarian participant, adding, "we look forward to more agricultural cooperation between Bulgaria and China."

The mutual benefits were generated through such collaborations that also happened during a period filled with challenges, including extreme weather events, pandemic-related disruptions and geopolitical headwinds. 

Thanks to the BRI agricultural cooperation, countries have overcome such difficulties, achieved bumper harvests and slashed poverty, said several participants, many of whom expressed their desire for more agricultural cooperation in terms of connectivity, trade and investment facilitation, monetary integration, and promotion of exchanges.