Article from IGTC member China National Association of Grains Sector (CNAGS):

The 2022 International Forum for Development and Investment of Modern Supply Chain of Food was held in Beijing on September 3. Director General of the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration Mr. Cong Liang, Vice Mayor of Beijing Municipality Mr.Yang Jinbai, UN Resident Coordinator in China Mr.Siddharth Chatterjee, and Deputy Director-General of the Department of International Economic Affairs, MFA of China, Mr.Huang Yiyang, attended the forum and made remarks. Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Mrs. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana and Director of Supply Chain Department of the World Food Programme, Mr. Alex Marianelli delivered video addresses. Vice President and Secretary-General Mr. Ren Zhi chaired the forum and made the concluding remarks.

In Mr. Ren Zhi’s conclusion, he said that as the first national association in grain sector in China, CNAGS remains committed to serving members, and actively participating in global food supply chain administration, as well as supporting enterprises head to innovation-driven development.

Mr. Ren Zhi pointed out that COFCO Corporation as the president unit of CNAGS, has extensively participated in international agricultural grain trade cooperation, established trade channels linking more than 140 countries and regions, formed a global trade network covering four major production regions which are North America, Brazil, the Southern Cone and the Black Sea, as well as three major sales regions in Africa, China and the Asia Pacific. COFCO has become a deep participant in building the global agricultural grain industry chain and a firm promoter of unblocking the global agricultural grain supply chain.

Mr. Ren Zhi suggested to deepen upstream and downstream cooperation in the food industry chain, accelerate the implementation of the international food security cooperation initiative, jointly improve the ability to ensure the supply of important agricultural products, jointly maintain the stability and smoothness of the global agricultural industry chain and supply chain, and jointly build a more efficient, inclusive, and resilient agricultural grain system.

The forum was held in the theme of "enhancing the stability of the supply chain and promoting world food security". The forum invited guests from WFP, Rural Economic Research Department of the Development Research Center of the State Council, Beijing Capital Agribusiness & Foods Group, Syngenta Group to deliver keynote speeches. They exchanged and discussed the new trend of grain industry development from different perspectives, and share new ideas for the development of modern grain supply chain.

The review shows that the International Alliance for Modern Food Supply Chain has achieved positive results in promoting the development of modern food supply chain and world food security by many measures including efficient coordination and resource sharing of food supply chain.

During the forum, Mrs. Zhao Yi, chief engineer of CNAGS, read out the Proposal for Promoting Green and Low Carbon Development of the Food Industry on behalf of the forum organizing committee, advocating that all practitioners actively promote green and low carbon transformation and high-quality development of the food industry.

The forum was hosted by China National Association of Grain Sector, the China Office of the United Nations World Food Programme, and China International Center of Economic and Technological Exchange, sponsored by COFCO, Beijing Capital Agribusiness & Food Group, China Vegetable Oil Industry Association, undertaken by the Beijing Municipal Food and Strategic Reserve Bureau, Beijing Association of Grain Sector, supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Scientific Research Institute of the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration.