2020 is a special year for China as it marks the deadline to achieve goals of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, implementing the 13th five-year plan, and winning the decisive battle against poverty.

This launch event will discuss how China should continue to develop its agricultural industry in a global context to meet the goals above, and how China and the world should respond to challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and support the poor and vulnerable groups.

The China Agricultural Sector Development Report 2020 (CASDR) analyzes the domestic and foreign macroeconomic and agricultural industry conditions. The report reviews the important events in 2019, including the persistence of trade frictions between China and the United States, the spread of African swine fever, etc. Besides, the report assesses the competitiveness of China’s agricultural industry from the perspectives of total factor productivity, international trade and production cost. The report provides studies on the impact of COVID-19 on China’s agriculture and farmers’ income; research on the recovering of pig production capacity and its key influencing factors; and simulations of the impact of fall armyworm on China’s corn industry in 2020. Moreover, it summarizes the characteristics of 18 important agricultural product industries development in 2019 and prospecting trends in the next two years.

The IFPRI 2020 Global Food Policy Report (GFPR) highlights the central role that inclusive food systems play in meeting global goals to end poverty, hunger, and malnutrition, and offers recommendations for making food systems more inclusive for four marginalized groups – smallholders, women, youth, and conflict-affected people. The report also provides analysis on transforming national food system in several countries like Bangladesh and Ethiopia, and advice on development of food system in different regions worldwide. As for China, smallholders and other marginalized groups are affected by African swine fever, trade disputes between China and the United States, COVID-19 and other uncertainties. Their livelihoods, food security, and nutritional status require particular attention. GFPR calls for supporting the poor and the most vulnerable to build inclusive food systems                   

During the event, an overview of the GFPR’s and CASDR’s findings will be presented.

Opening Remarks

Host, Longjiang Yuan, Director, Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development (IAED)

• Johan Swinnen, Director General, IFPRI
• Huajun Tang, President, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS)

Reports Launch

China Agricultural Sector Development Report 2020 (CASDR)

• Xurong Mei, Vice President, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS)

IFPRI 2020 Global Food Policy Report (GFPR)

• Shenggen Fan, Chair Professor of China Agricultural University, former Director General of IFPRI

Comments and Advice on Reports

Host, Kevin Chen, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI

• Changyun Jiang, Deputy Director of the Institute of Industrial and Technical Economics, National Development and Reform Commission
• Hongyu Zhang, Vice Dean of China Institute for Rural Studies, Tsinghua University
• Xiaohua Chen, Member of the National Committee of CPPCC, former Vice-Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, President of Chinese Association of Agricultural Economics
• Xingqing Ye, Director General, Research Department of Rural Economy, Development Research Center of the State Council
• Xiurong He, Professor of College of Economics and Management of China Agricultural University, Consultant of the State Council