Representatives from 94 countries gathered in Beijing for the 2025 Agricultural Science and Technology Conference to decode China’s agricultural science and technology practice path

On October 12, the 2025 World Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Conference (WAFI) kicked off at Beijing Jinhaihu International Convention and Exhibition Center. This international event, co-hosted by China Agricultural University, the People’s Government of Pinggu District, Beijing Municipality, and other organizations, adopted the theme “Practicing a Comprehensive Food Perspective and Building a Resilient Food Supply System.” It attracted top scientists, entrepreneurs, and representatives from industry, academia, and research sectors from 94 countries and regions. China’s systematic achievements in agricultural science and technology innovation and its open sharing approach became one of the conference’s core focal points.​

As the host and core participant of this conference, China has established an efficient communication platform through the “1+7+1+N” overall framework, which includes 1 opening ceremony and plenary session, 7 thematic conferences, 1 World Agricultural Science and Technology Expo, as well as multiple parallel meetings and international exchange activities. The thematic conferences cover cutting-edge fields such as the World Forum of Agricultural University Presidents and the World Forum of Agricultural Scientists. Nearly 300 international guests from Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, Europe, and other regions attended the event, marking the largest scale in the history of the conference.​

At the “Climate Change and Resilient Agriculture” parallel forum held first on October 11, the initiative proposed by Sun Qixin, President of China Agricultural University, to “transform resilient agriculture from concept to practice” received responses from international organizations such as the Environmental Defense Fund and the French Academy of Agricultural Sciences. The “Three Precision” modern agricultural meteorological service system showcased by the China Meteorological Administration, which provides customized services to farmers through a nationwide monitoring network, has become an important reference case for global climate-smart agriculture. The conference released outcomes including the “Agricultural Zhongguancun 2.0” and the establishment of the World Agricultural Universities A20 Alliance, further highlighting China’s pivotal role in international collaboration in agricultural science and technology.​

At the China Agricultural Science and Technology Achievements Exhibition Area, the technological matrix ranging from field operation equipment to intelligent decision-making systems comprehensively demonstrates the qualitative transformation of China’s agriculture from traditional models to technology-driven development. By September 2025, China has established an innovation system comprising over 800 research institutions and more than 120,000 professionals, forming international competitive advantages in fields such as biological breeding and intelligent equipment.​

“The seamless integration between research and industrial sectors is the key to China’s rapid breakthrough in agricultural technology.” At the food experience zone of the “Agricultural Food Hub” exhibition area, beverages made from raw materials harvested by an AI honeysuckle picking robot have attracted attention. This equipment, jointly developed by China Agricultural University, achieves a picking speed of 3 seconds per flower with over 90% recognition accuracy and a 6% damage rate, replacing 2-3 laborers. Its path planning algorithm further reduces operation time by 20-35%. Meanwhile, Fosai Agriculture’s intelligent hydroponic cultivation chamber achieves automated soilless cultivation through “one-click planting and precision-controlled maintenance” technology. Its application cases in urban markets provide new ideas for diversifying global food systems.

The foundation supporting these transformation achievements lies in China’s improved technology extension system. The grid-based service network established by over 400,000 grassroots agricultural technicians in China has achieved full coverage of technical services through platforms such as science and technology small yards, with the technical coverage rate across the entire industrial chain of 50 core crop varieties exceeding 82%. This closed-loop model of “research and development-transformation-extension” has enabled over 95% of independently developed crop varieties to be widely applied, while high-quality and high-yield crop varieties continue to expand their market coverage.​

China’s technological breakthroughs in the field of ecological conservation also align with the conference theme. The intelligent grass-livestock balance monitoring terminal developed by the National Engineering Research Center for Agricultural Informatization achieved over 96% accuracy in identifying grazing groups on Inner Mongolia grasslands, reduced the grass-livestock balance index below 10%, decreased grassland degradation by 20%, and according to a restoration cost of 50 yuan per mu, 10,000 mu of grassland could save 100,000 yuan in ecological restoration investment. These technologies, combined with precision irrigation and conservation tillage methods, are driving the agricultural sector’s transition from “production priority” to “ecological and efficiency parity,” providing a practical model for climate-resilient agriculture globally.​

The development path of China’s agricultural science and technology demonstrates that through the dual efforts of policy guidance and market-driven mechanisms, it can effectively address the dual challenges of food security and ecological conservation. With the release of achievements such as the “International Fund for Agricultural Development Innovation Catalog” and the signing of international cooperation projects, China is promoting the global sharing of agricultural scientific achievements with an open attitude, injecting substantial momentum into the joint construction of a resilient food supply system.