OECD China Forum: Scale up Regenerative Agriculture to advance sustainable development

On June 25, 2024, the Forum on Agriculture Sustainability and Green Growth in China was successfully held in Paris, France. The forum was hosted by the Business at OECD (BIAC), which is affiliated with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Representatives from the BIAC, the OECD Trade and Agriculture Directorate (TAD), the OECD China Expert Group, the Netherlands to the OECD, experts from the China Agricultural University and Peking University, as well as industry leaders discussed the many opportunities and challenges facing China in sustainable agriculture, smart agriculture, innovations in biotechnology such as gene editing, regulations and policies, and regenerative agriculture for smallholder farmers.

This marks the first time the OECD has placed China's agriculture at the core of its discussions, aiming to promote international awareness of China‘s development of sustainable and regenerative agriculture, as well as to foster further collaboration between China and the OECD. This aligns with Bayer's long-standing focus and advocacy in the field of agriculture. Dr. Alejandra Castro, Global Head of Partnerships with International Organizations of Bayer Crop Science, was invited to attend the forum and acted as the moderator. Jochem Wiers, Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the OECD, Jo Tyndall, Director of Environment Directorate of OECD, Julia Nielson, Deputy Director of Trade and Agriculture Directorate of OECD, and other representatives, together with Dr. Shenggen Fan, Dean of the Academy of Global Food Economics and Policy (AGFEP), China Agricultural University, Dr. Jikun Huang, Dean of New Rural Development Research Institute, Peking University, Dr. Jian Guang Shen, Vice President and Chief Economist of JD Group, and Barbara Wang, General Manager of Hongyi Grain Cooperative, the food value chain partner of Bayer Crop Science, carried out thematic sharing and interactive exchanges through four different topics.

Dr. Alejandra Castro, Global Head of Partnerships with International Organizations of Bayer Crop Science

Hanni Rosenbaum, Executive Director of the BIAC, said that the important functions of the OECD include sharing best practices from various industries globally with governments and stakeholders, and actively supporting multilateral dialogues. She emphasized that she is looking forward to exploring China’s sustainable agriculture development technologies, cases, policy frameworks, scientific and technological cooperation through this forum. As a result, the BIAC will continue to organize exchanges on sustainable agricultural development in China.

New Farmers' Power in China's Agricultural Innovation and Sustainable Development

During the forum on " Enhancing Innovation Infrastructure for Sustainable Input Use in China: Government-Industry Collaboration", Barbara Wang, General Manager of Hongyi Grain Cooperative, founder of Barbara's Coffee Estate, was invited as a representative of the "new farmers" in China to share her insights and practical experiences in regenerative agriculture, showcasing the rejuvenating force of Chinese agriculture.

In 2023, Bayer, Nestlé, and Netafim jointly launched the first "Regenerative Agriculture in Rice Cultivation" program in China, which was implemented at Barbara Wang’s Hongyi Grain Cooperative in HeilongJiang.

Babara Wang shared her journey of how she came to understand the concept of regenerative agriculture and how it is practiced at Hongyi Grain Cooperative. She talked about how digital agricultural technology, drip irrigation, alternate wetting and drying AWD, soil monitoring and improvement, integrated prevention and management in the field, and good agricultural practice demonstration training have transformed farming. Participation in Bayer's regenerative agriculture project has made farming more "accessible" – Barbara Wang and her parents, who have been engaged in agriculture for many years, have gained a shared understanding of regenerative agriculture. Through practice, they have witnessed the long-term value that regenerative agriculture brings to soil, water, and agricultural environments. Consequently, she has dedicated herself to becoming an advocate and ambassador for regenerative agriculture, encouraging more farmers to adopt scientifically based regenerative agricultural technologies.

Barbara Wang mentioned that Hongyi Grain Cooperative will continue to collaborate with Bayer and Nestlé on the ″Regenerative Agriculture in Rice Cultivation″ project. At the same time, she also operates a 30-acre regenerative agriculture experimental field in Yunnan, cultivating crops such as coffee and blueberries, covering the entire food value chain, including planting, processing, agricultural branding, e-commerce platform operation, and farming research and experience. Barbara Wang said that "agriculture is not just about planting, land, and crops, but also processing, supply chain, customer demand insights, etc. The philosophy of embracing new technologies and regenerative agriculture with an open mind is the path  towards eco-friendly agriculture and sustainable development."

Barbara Wang (middle) speaking at the roundtable discussion

Bayer and China's Collaborative Journey in Regenerative Agriculture

The forum also focused on exploring cooperation opportunities in China’s sustainable agricultural development. Bayer Crop Science is committed to improving crop yields and quality while minimizing environmental impact through regenerative agriculture.

Bayer's ″Regenerative Agriculture in Rice Cultivation″ project inspired "new farmer" Barbara Wang to embark on a new agricultural journey and stands as an important milestone for Bayer to promote regenerative agriculture in China. Furthermore, Bayer continues to attract more farmers from different regions and with different crop types in China to participate in regenerative agriculture through Bayer ForwardFarming project, creating demonstration application scenarios for future regenerative agriculture.

In promoting regenerative agriculture, Bayer and its food value chain partners have jointly released China's first systematic regenerative agriculture research report - "Driving Sustainable Transformation of Chinese Agriculture with Multiple Objectives through Regenerative Agriculture", and the first regenerative agriculture group standard - "Regenerative Agriculture Management Standards - Planting", leading the development and implementation of regenerative agriculture based on Bayer’s innovation and practical experience in agriculture. Looking ahead, Bayer will continue to promote the advancement of agricultural technology, empower smallholder farmers, and protect farmland ecology, integrate advanced agricultural technology and innovative practices, provide industry-leading products and systematic solutions, collaborate with industrial  partners, promote international exchanges in agriculture, and support the high-quality sustainable development of China's agriculture.

About Bayer Crop Science 

In agriculture, Bayer believes that growers are eager to innovate, promote growth, have environmental benefits and contribute to human development. With leading research capabilities in biotechnology, crop protection and data science, Bayer is able to deliver customized solutions to growers faster than ever before. We explore digital tools that drive innovation and, together with our partners, make a profound difference for human and the planet. 

To learn more, please visit www.cropscience.bayer.com.