Agriculture

Agricultural technologies and innovations enable farmers to produce food that is more nutritious, while utilising fewer resources and having less impact on the environment. (Image source: CropLife Asia)

CropLife Asia and its member companies are emphasising on the importance of agricultural technology and innovations that are capable of not only driving food security but also empowering farmers to produce food that is safe, nutritious and affordable to all 

According to the United Nations (UN) 2024 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report, more than 713 million people around the world have faced hunger, with Asia being home to the largest number of those who experience moderate-to-severe food insecurity. It is predicted that around 582 million people will be chronically undernourished by 2030. 

Plant science technologies such as plant biotechnology, gene-editing and crop protection products play a key role in supporting crop productivity, ensuring a stable food supply, managing and protecting natural resources as well as driving national economies.

“The growing population here in Asia and around the world, climate change impacts and geopolitical conflicts have only exacerbated an already challenging food insecurity landscape,” said executive director of CropLife Asia, Dr Siang Hee Tan. “With agricultural innovations and plant science technologies, it is possible for farmers to produce more nutritious food with fewer resources and less impact to the world around us. That helps our smallholder farmers, national economies and trade, and most crucially, our collective regional food security. More than ever, we need science-based regulatory systems around Asia to provide timely reviews of the latest agricultural innovations and technologies that can help our smallholder farmers at such a consequential time for our region.”

Professor Mark Blaskovich, CEAStAR centre director, Professor Darren Trott, CEAStAR centre deputy director, and Dr Bicheng Yang, director of MGI Australia (from L to R) (Image source: MGI Tech)

MGI Australia Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of MGI Tech Co. Ltd, recently announced its partnership with The University of Queensland (UQ) led Centre for Environmental and Agricultural Solutions to Antimicrobial Resistance (CEAStAR), aiming to combat antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) infections affecting human health, agriculture, and the environment

MGI's proprietary DNBSEQ technology, renowned for its high accuracy and efficiency in genetic sequencing, plays a pivotal role in CEAStAR's efforts to combat antimicrobial resitance. 

"Our goal is to deliver new antimicrobials for animal use, alternative treatments, and advanced detection methods to mitigate the spread of resistant microbes across sectors," said centre director professor Mark Blaskovich, while emphasising the urgent need for alternatives to antibiotics in agriculture and veterinary medicine.

When integrated with MGI's automated laboratory systems, the DNBSEQ technology enables portable, on-site sequencing solutions. These solutions empower rapid detection, surveillance, and monitoring of AMR in diverse environmental settings, including wastewater and agricultural environments.

As part of the CEAStAR initiative, on World Food Day 2023 MGI announced support for an industry-driven graduate research project focused on developing sequencing-based surveillance to monitor antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the water environment.

"We have successfully collaborated with UQ, utilising our cutting-edge sequencing technology to detect SARS-CoV-2 variants and antibiotic resistance genes in wastewater," said director of MGI Australia, Dr Bicheng Yang. "We look forward to expanding this partnership, continuing to develop and apply innovative solutions to combat AMR."

Certification award ceremony for new RSPO Members in China. (Image source: RSPO))

The 2024 China Sustainable Palm Oil Forum (eighth RSPO China Forum) strongly called for decisive action to enhance inclusivity and sustainability within the palm oil supply chain

The annual event highlighted the crucial role of RSPO Certified sustainable palm oil in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, introduced new sustainability initiatives, and emphasised the importance of strong partnerships to drive market transformation in China.

The forum showcased the sustainability efforts of Chinese enterprises. It attracted significant participation from RSPO Members, government bodies, industry associations, financial institutions, research organisations, NGOs, and certification bodies. Discussions were mainly focused on shared responsibility within the palm oil supply chain, urging stakeholders to increase their commitment to sustainable production and trade practices.

A significant highlight of the forum was the introduction of RSPO's new certification, trade, and traceability platform – prisma (Palm Resource Information and Sustainability Management). Designed to enhance trade efficiency and ensure compliance with global regulations, prisma aims to facilitate the adoption of certified sustainable palm oil among RSPO Members and regional market players. 

This year's forum serves as a platform for RSPO members to showcase their sustainability journeys. The positive progress and actions demonstrated by leading Chinese enterprises and supply chain companies clearly indicate that Chinese businesses are sending strong signals of sustainable demand to the market, upstream supply chain, and growers. The outcomes of the eighth China Forum are poised to resonate globally, influencing sustainability practices across the palm oil industry.

"The food and agriculture system is a cornerstone of sustainable development," said CFNA president, Cao Derong. "By adopting sustainable practices in the sourcing and processing of palm oil, China can position itself as a leader in building a global green value chain. Meanwhile, we are committed to strengthening global partnerships to address climate change and promote sustainable agriculture."

Farmmi provides market-oriented professional and standardised services for their agricultural products, while promoting high-quality, advanced green development of rural industries in Lishui City. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Chinese agriculture products supplier, Farmmi, Inc. has announced ithat it has received the certificate of 'An Agricultural Products Sales King' awarded by the Lishui municipal authority

Based on onsite visits, verification and evaluations of relevant indicators, a careful selection process was carried out, following which the award was granted. Farmmi's CEO and chairwoman, Yefang Zhang expressed her delight upon receiving the award, highlighting that the company had significantly invested in their core agriculture business, focusing firmly on sales growth. 

"We are capitalising on our many active, long-term customer engagements to help develop new customers in our target geographic markets worldwide. A big part of our success and strategy centers on our investments in our infrastructure, supply chain partnerships and warehousing systems," commented Zhang. "We target new quality customers that will rely on Farmmi to source their products, which differentiates us from our competitors in the market. We are also increasing our marketing efforts as we more aggressively target new customers."

As Farmmi provides market-oriented professional and standardised services for their agricultural products, while promoting high-quality, advanced green development of rural industries in Lishui City, Zhang hopes that the company plays a leading role in Lishui's agriculture product market.