A transition is needed to more sustainable food systems，Vincent Martin, FAO representative in China and DPR Korea, stressed in his opening remarks to an inception workshop of the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) on improving fertilizer utilization and agricultural ecological environment held on 10 May 2018 in the city of Changji, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China.

“The transition will boost global food systems to produce more, with more socio-economic benefits and with less environmental consequences,” Martin explained. Focusing on the role of agroecology in this transition, he emphasized, “The agroecological approach is the call of our times to realize sustainable agriculture development in the long run for food and nutrition security of the present and future generations.”

FAO Representative pointed to China’s experience in this field saying, “In the same spirit, China has been always attaching great importance on modern, green and sustainable agriculture development, as repeatedly emphasized in the N0.1 Documents issued by the Central government for years in a row, including this year’s edition on rural vitalization.” Martin also highlighted that China has solemnly committed to Zero Growth of Fertilizer/Pesticide Use by 2020, which marks not only a concrete example of the country’s commitment to green agriculture development but also a magnificent endeavour in achieving the SDG targets.

The project development process has been greatly supported by the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA), the Agriculture Development of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and its Agriculture Foreign Economic Cooperation Centre，as well as the agriculture sector in the project localities. FAO technical specialists, including Piao Yongfan, the Lead Technical Officer from FAO’s Regional Office in Asia and the Pacific, have also provided technical support in the process.

Way forward

The inception workshop brought together more than 40 participants representing FAO, the Government of China, public institutions, and other non-governmental groups. Division Director, Zhao Lijun, Department of International Cooperation of MARA, attended the workshop. In his remarks he underlined the importance of the project and expressed optimism that with FAO’s assistance innovative agroecological and soil management technologies would be introduced to benefit local communities.” He also expected the best practices summarized from this TCP project could be replicated in other parts of the country.

The TCP project on “Improving fertilizer utilization and agricultural ecological environment in Xinjiang” represents a pilot of FAO’s collaboration with China in the pursuit of green and agroecological agriculture development in Xinjiang, a land endowed with rich and special agriculture resources. Using participatory extension approaches, the project has set the goal of introducing a set of improved fertilizer utilization technologies and practices for adoption by producers within two years. By doing so, FAO aims for more efficient fertilizer use, better agroecological management and improved local livelihoods in the project localities, as well as for possible replication of the best practices in other parts of the country. Needless to say, this will go a long way in contributing to efforts aimed at achieving targets under relevant SDGs.