May 22 is the first anniversary of the death of Academician Yuan Longping.
At 13:07 on May 22, 2021, Yuan Longping, the "father of hybrid rice", academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and recipient of the "Order of the Republic", died in Changsha, Hunan At the age of 91.
On the first anniversary of Yuan Longping's death, the Beijing News reporter interviewed his assistant Xin Yeyun, zeng Songting, the initiator of the "Grandpa's Rice Field" project, and Wen Kangnong, the representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in China, to jointly remember and remember Academician Yuan Longping.
Carlos Watson, who was in charge of international cooperation resource mobilization at the Central American Bank for Economic Integration in Honduras from 1995 to 2014, joined the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2014 and served as the FAO Representative in China from February 2021.
Vincent & Farmer (Courtesy of Interviewee)
Contribution of Academician Yuan Longping
"Helping billions of people achieve food security not only in China but around the world"
Beijing News: Since joining the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 2014, you have been committed to achieving the Un Sustainable Development Goals, in particular the eradication of hunger. Can you talk about your impression of Academician Yuan Longping?
Wen Kangnong: In late January 2016, the 5th FAO-China South-South Cooperation Programme Consultation Was held in Changsha, Hunan Province. During the conference, I visited the Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center, one of fao's reference centers in China. As a member of the FAO delegation, I had the privilege of meeting and talking with Mr. Yuan Longping. At that time, I had heard about Mr. Yuan Longping and admired his achievements in the field of hybrid rice. After the meeting and conversation, I was particularly impressed by his enthusiasm and dedication to the study of hybrid rice.
In January 2016, Wen Kangnong visited the Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center and took a group photo with Yuan Longping
Beijing News: On May 22 last year, after hearing the news of the death of Academician Yuan Longping, how did you feel? How do you evaluate Academician Yuan Longping's contribution to promoting world food security and eradicating poverty?
Wen Kangnong: I still clearly remember that last year I saw this sad news on my way back from the main venue of the "International Tea Day" in Hangzhou. People mourned the departure of the giant, including Qu Dongyu, director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, who mourned on the day: "A lifetime of monastic hybrid rice, ten thousand families to eat Chinese food." My beloved Master of eternity! ”
Mr. Yuan Longping is known worldwide for developing the first hybrid rice strain, which earned him the reputation of "father of hybrid rice". Despite such great success, he never stopped exploring and pursuing high-yield hybrid rice. Before his death, he was also working on the breeding of saline-tolerant rice. He has devoted his life to hybrid rice research, helping billions of people achieve food security not only in China but also around the world.
Thanks to the efforts of Mr. Yuan Longping and many agricultural scientists, China has become more and more powerful agricultural science and technology, laying a solid foundation for china's agricultural development.
China's efforts in the field of world food security
"China has been actively participating in the global poverty reduction cause by expanding bilateral and multilateral international cooperation"
Beijing NewsWhat do you think of China's efforts and contributions in the field of world food security?
Wen Kangnong: With the development of the economy and agriculture, China has been striving to participate in regional and global agricultural cooperation and global food security governance, actively responding to and participating in the initiatives and activities of food-related international organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Food Programme, and promoting the concept of food security for building a community with a shared future for mankind. In particular, under the Belt and Road Initiative, China has been actively participating in global poverty reduction through expanding bilateral and multilateral international cooperation, and strengthening agricultural dialogue, information sharing, and technical exchanges and cooperation.
We have also noted that in recent years, China has continuously innovated the model of South-South cooperation to help the agricultural development of other developing countries through new models and methods based on the principles of solidarity, equality and independence.
China was one of the first countries to carry out South-South cooperation in agriculture since 1996. Since the establishment of the China-FAO Trust Fund for South-South Cooperation in 2009, China has announced a donation of US$130 million to FAO, which is now in the third phase of implementation. Over the past decade, the China-FAO South-South Cooperation Programme has sent more than 250 Chinese agricultural technical experts to many developing countries to conduct on-the-ground teaching, knowledge, technology and experience, and more than 1,300 training activities.
It is worth mentioning that in China, five research and training institutions in the field of South-South cooperation have become fao reference centers, one of which is the Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center, led by Mr. Yuan Longping and his team.
Beijing NewsAfter decades of hard work, China has fed nearly 20% of the world's population with 9% of the world's arable land and 6% of its fresh water. What does this mean for the world?
Wen Kang Nong: China's annual grain output has been stable at more than 650 million tons for several consecutive years, and the per capita grain consumption is higher than the world average. China has set an extraordinary example for the world in achieving food self-sufficiency.
This achievement is deeply rooted in the strong political commitment of the Chinese government. The issue of "three rural areas" has always been the top priority in the chinese government's work agenda. For 19 consecutive years, the Chinese government has issued the No. 1 Central Document every year, focusing on sustainable agricultural development and food security. With Mr. Yuan Longping's agricultural scientific and technological breakthroughs in the field of hybrid rice and the hard work of Chinese people, China's agricultural development has achieved remarkable results.
Future FAO cooperation with China
"Continue to work with Chinese partners to serve China's three rural areas and share China's experience"
Beijing News: This year marks the 40th anniversary of fao in China and your first anniversary as FAO Representative in China. What areas will FAO cooperate with China in the future?
Vincomnon: I have been the FAO representative in China and North Korea since 2021, when China was formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan. In consultation with the Chinese government on the formulation of the FAO and China's Country Planning Framework (2021-2025), we have been thinking about how FAO can better cooperate with China, combined with China's national conditions, and contribute to China's agricultural development.
The Country Planning Framework (2021-2025) identifies three key areas of cooperation during the 14th Five-Year Plan period: one is to promote the transformation of food systems, achieve better production and better nutrition, and achieve common prosperity; second, to enhance the resilience of food systems, create a better environment, and protect the planet; and third, to strengthen international and regional agricultural cooperation, enhance partnerships, and achieve better lives for all.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of FAO's presence in China. Over the past 40 years, FAO and China have worked closely and productively together. FAO supports and witnesses the development of agriculture in China. We are willing to continue to work with Chinese partners to serve China's three rural areas, share China's experience, and play a more active role in supporting China's rural revitalization and accelerating the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Beijing News reporter He Qiang intern Fan Xiaohan
Proofreading By Zhang Yanjun Courtesy of the interviewee