The 2017 1st World Eco-Agriculture Seminar was held in Yanqi Lake International Convention and Exhibition Center and Shenglu International Winery, April 26-27, 2017. The seminar was hosted by the Investment Association of China(IAC) and organized by the Beijing International Exchange Association Sustainable Development Committee(SDC) and has covered hot topics such as food security, poverty alleviation, and international cooperation under the "Belt and Road" initiative. Representatives from governments, international organizations, foreign embassies in China, large-scale enterprises, academic and financial institutions on rural development from different countries have attended the seminar.
Yang Qingwei, President of Investment Association of China
The first day of the conference was held at the Yanqi Lake International Convention and Exhibition Center, with keynote speeches and group discussions. Yang Qingwei, president of IAC, made the opening speech in which he proposed that 2017 World Eco-Agriculture Seminar is an innovative event and could be a banner to guide the development of the ecological agriculture in China.
Yin Chengjie, former Deputy Minister of Agriculture, President of the Chinese Association of Agricultural Economics
Yin Chengjie, former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and President of the Chinese Association of Agricultural Economics, made an authoritative interpretation of the connotation, extension and new policies of ecological agriculture. He also mentioned that “we need to provide the new farmers, especially new agricultural business entities with stronger support."
Zhang Hongyu, Director of Rural Economy and Management, Ministry of Agriculture
Zhang Hongyu, Director of Rural Economy and Management, Ministry of Agriculture, said in his speech that it is necessary to make ecological agriculture a more active factor in poverty alleviation, and fully release the potential of the immaterial functional advantage of agriculture.
Professor Wu Wen-Shi, former Dean of the Taiwan University's College of Bio-Resources and Agriculture, proposed six programs which adopt organic farming to improve the quality and production of agriculture, as well as solving China's rural issues.
Richard Gibson, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Sint Maarten
Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Sint Maarten Richard Gibson said: "Global ecological development is vital to humanity, and it is our responsibility and obligation to find practical solutions. Sint Maarten has established close ties with China. A ecological project, the 'Pearl of China', has already been launched in Sint Maarten." It is reported that the project will serve as a strategic hub and demonstration model of the “Belt & Road” initiative in the Caribbean.
Alwin van der Linde, Chairman of VanderLinde Foundation, shared with the attendees about his experience of building a cultural town with art in Spain. Sir Tim Smith KBE, Co-founder of Eden Project, shared the ecosystem and eco-agricultural tourism of Eden. All together, the attendees have been well prepared for the next step with action plans which range from new investing mode for rural development and public welfare to a targeted poverty reduction.
The second day of the Summit was held at the beautiful vineyard of Shenglu International Winery in a more relaxing atmosphere. Led by Zhulei, Executive Vice Chairman of SDC and Simon Jones, CEO of Aurora Borealis Foundation(ABF), two dialogues on “agricultural education and young people” and “integration of nature, culture and ecological agriculture” guided the attendees to explore the future of eco-agriculture and the importance of innovation in ecological agriculture. A forum on “Belt & Road International Cooperation and Caribbean Development” was also hosted in the afternoon in Shenglu.
The two-day's summit has received strong and positive response. And as the IAC President Yang Qingwei declared in the speech, the summit has become a grand event with high influence and representativeness in the global ecological field, and has contributed to the transformation of ecological agriculture, which has been expected to be the starting point of a new era of ecological development.