The second China-Latin America and the Caribbean Sustainable Food Innovation Forum and the 2025 International Forum on Agriculture Innovation and Sustainability are held from Sunday to Tuesday in Sanya, Hainan province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
The second China-Latin America and the Caribbean Sustainable Food Innovation Forum concluded on Tuesday in Sanya, Hainan province, bringing together an international group of experts to discuss food security and scientific cooperation between the two sides.
At the forum's opening ceremony, the Yazhouwan National Laboratory signed cooperation memoranda of understanding with agricultural research institutions from Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Chile.
"It's good to strengthen Global South collaboration, and to integrate the experience and knowledge from both sides to tackle food security and sustainability issues," said Agustin Zsogon, a professor at Brazil's Federal University of Vicosa.
Santiago Signorelli, a biochemistry professor at the University of the Republic in Uruguay, said China possesses advanced technologies that can contribute to scientific work in Uruguay.
The second China-Latin America and the Caribbean Sustainable Food Innovation Forum and the 2025 International Forum on Agriculture Innovation and Sustainability are held from Sunday to Tuesday in Sanya, Hainan province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
The event ran alongside the 2025 International Forum on Agriculture Innovation and Sustainability, which hosted an audience from a larger pool of nations. Both events are part of Hainan's broader collaborative outreach, in line with the nation's efforts to implement the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Global Development Initiative, and the Global Security Initiative.
In October 2024, the China-Latin America and the Caribbean Sustainable Food Innovation Center was established in Sanya's Yazhou Bay as a key platform for science and technology cooperation. It has since established branches in Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay.
In September, China's Ministry of Science and Technology launched a new phase of the China-Latin America Science and Technology Partnership Plan, which includes developing joint research and building cooperative platforms, among other actions.
The second China-Latin America and the Caribbean Sustainable Food Innovation Forum and the 2025 International Forum on Agriculture Innovation and Sustainability are held from Sunday to Tuesday in Sanya, Hainan province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
According to Chen Jie, director of Hainan's science and technology department, the province's developments bolster these efforts. He highlighted the Hainan Free Trade Port, the zero-tariff policies, and the 59-country visa-free entry as beneficial to seed industry research.
Upcoming projects like the National Tropical Agricultural Science Center, the "Nanfan Silicon Valley", and the global germplasm resource introduction and transit base will "support the China-Latin America and the Caribbean Sustainable Food Innovation Center in fully playing its role, providing stronger services and guarantees for building joint innovation platforms, conducting collaborative research, and facilitating exchanges among scientific and technical personnel," he added.
