Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences joins forces with FAO to support sustainable agriculture and rural economies

Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences joins forces with FAO to support sustainable agriculture and rural economies

　　The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (JAAS) have signed a partnership agreement which foresees joint efforts to support smallholder farmers through technological innovation.

　　The collaboration will focus on developing sustainable, resilient and efficient food systems across urban and rural areas, and sharing knowledge and technologies with developing countries through FAO's South-South and triangular cooperation framework.

　　"Innovation and technology transfer are key to paving the way for healthy and sustainable food systems," said FAO Deputy Director-General, Laurent Thomas. "The partnership between JAAS and FAO will allow sharing of knowledge and expertise to support solutions and develop capacities for strengthening sustainable agriculture development in China, Southeast Asia and Africa."

　　Seeking to help the furthest behind

　　The partnership will focus on activities which promote rural revitalization and stronger urban-rural linkages, paying special attention to rural areas and to marginalized farmers. The aim is ensuring food safety, achieving food security, and reducing poverty in both urban and rural areas.

　　As part of the collaboration, FAO and JAAS will ensure that research, best practices and innovations in the fields of sustainable agriculture and mechanization are widely shared, both with rural communities within China and with other countries with large agricultural sectors which would benefit from this expertise. The partnership will rely on FAO's South-South and triangular cooperation framework to foster sustainable and climate resilient agriculture development, both in rural areas of China and in parts of Africa, in a way that is appropriate to local agroecological and socio-economic conditions.

　　Research undertaken within the context of the partnership will focus on the development of cropping systems and strong extension programmes in circular agriculture, conservation agriculture, and smart agriculture, with the overall goal of safeguarding agricultural resources and the environment, ensuring food safety and strengthening value chains and rural-urban food supply chains.