Today, the Information-sharing Meeting on Digital Practice in Agriculture and Rural Development in China was held in Beijing. This report marks the inaugural research topic under the Digital Transformation and Sustainable Development of Agrifood Systems in China project jointly launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Shanghai XunMeng Info Tech Co., Ltd. (Pinduoduo), and the China Agricultural Science and Education Foundation (CASEF).

Titled Digital Practice in Agriculture and Rural Development in China, the report systematically analyzes and reviews digital initiatives for rural development, achievements, and illustrative cases in China and selected countries and regions worldwide. It provides a comprehensive summary of the characteristics, trends, challenges, experiences, and insights shaping global digital rural development.

"Digital transformation of agriculture and rural affairs is a key area for many countries and regions across the world, and it represents a crucial initiative of FAO," stated Zhang Zhongjun, Officer-in-Charge of the FAO Representation in China, in his opening remarks. "The Digital Transformation and Sustainable Development of Agrifood Systems in China project and the interim research findings released today will effectively promote the research progress as well as the experience consolidation and dissemination in related fields."

Zeng Hao, Senior Director of Public Affairs at Pinduoduo, emphasized, "as a new e-commerce platform with ‘mud on legs’, Pinduoduo has consistently adhered to a long-term strategy rooted in agriculture. Despite multiple challenges, we have been continually improving the efficiency of the agricultural supply chain through digital technology, directly connecting with over 1 000 agricultural areas across the country and engaging more than 16 million agricultural producers in the digital economy." He emphasized that Pinduoduo will take this project collaboration as an opportunity to enhance the communication and cooperation with agricultural institutions both domestically and internationally, contributing to the global digital transformation and sustainable development of agriculture.

Guo Xiaoping, Director of the Fund Management Department of the CASEF, stated that this project collaboration represents a proactive exploration and beneficial attempt for social forces and capital to engage in the implementation of rural revitalization strategies. The CASEF will seize this opportunity to further leverage its role as a platform for social welfare and charity to mobilize more social forces and resources to support agricultural science and education, contribute to comprehensive rural revitalization, and move faster to build up China’s strength in agriculture."

Xu Ming, Deputy Director-General of the Center of International Cooperation Service (CICOS) of China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, noted, "how do we understand the profound digital transformation currently unfolding in China's agriculture and rural areas? Compared with other countries, what are the distinctive features and valuable lessons learned from China's agricultural and rural digitalization? As one of the project implementation organizations, our center has worked with a team of experts from the Agricultural Information Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) to summarize our thoughts and preliminary explorations on these issues into the report released today. We look forward to presenting a report that is both informative and engaging, enriching FAO's knowledge-sharing content, providing valuable insights for research in related fields, and contributing to the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development."

During the keynote speech session, Zhao Junye, Researcher at the Agricultural Information Institute of the CAAS, introduced the report and its research findings. Li Zhenbo, Vice Dean of the College of Information and Electrical Engineering at the China Agricultural University, Yang Yue, Public Affairs Expert at Pinduoduo, and Pan Dandan, Director of the Big Data Center at the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau of Xianju County, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, respectively shared their insights on the three topics of "Smart Agriculture: New Productivity Driving Agricultural Progress", "Exploration and Practice of Pinduoduo's Agricultural Digitization", and "Pro Farmer Online: Constructing a New Model of Digital Wealth Sharing along the Agricultural Industry Chain".

In 2022, Pinduoduo donated USD 1 million to the CASEF for the FAO's Digital Transformation and Sustainable Development of Agrifood Systems in China" project. Launched in 2023, the project plans to focus on four areas over a three-year period: digital rural areas, precision agriculture, sustainable agriculture, and healthy diets. Through thematic research, analysis seminars, report writing, training sessions, and promotional activities, the project seeks to summarize innovative practices and excellent approaches in China's agrifood systems transformation and rural revitalization. It aims to provide valuable references and insights for the development of China's rural areas and share China's successful experiences with developing countries through the FAO platform.