The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations Representation in China and Pinduoduo Inc. (NASDAQ: PDD) jointly held a webinar on how smart agriculture can bolster food production and security.
Representatives from FAO, Pinduoduo, China Agricultural University, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and finalists of the Pinduoduo-organized Smart Agriculture Competition took part and presented at the webinar.
“Technology can bring real benefits to farmers and by extension to society at large,” said Carlos Watson, FAO representative to China. “FAO is a big supporter of initiatives to promote smart agriculture as it can boost food security and safety.”
Since its founding in 2015, Pinduoduo has made improving the food and agricultural systems a key strategic priority. As China’s largest platform for online agricultural sales, Pinduoduo connects millions of farmers with over 850 million consumers. The company also trains thousands of aspiring agricultural entrepreneurs each year and works with agronomic institutes to upgrade the skills of farmers.
“Knowledge sharing is a key component of the adoption and proliferation of technology,” said Andre Zhu, Senior Vice President of Pinduoduo. “By organizing such sharing sessions, we want to help promote smart agriculture and its benefits and generate more interest in this very important sector of society.”
Last year, Pinduoduo put in place a “10 Billion Agriculture Initiative” dedicated to addressing critical needs in the agricultural sector and rural areas. The initiative strives to facilitate the advancement of agritech, promote digital inclusion, and provide agritech talent with greater motivation and recognition.
Pinduoduo is a staunch supporter of precision agriculture through its annual Smart Agriculture Competition, which it organizes jointly with China Agricultural University and Zhejiang University with technical guidance from the FAO and Wageningen University & Research. Participating teams are challenged to grow tomatoes using a multidisciplinary approach to maximize yield, cost effectiveness and environmental sustainability.
This year, hundreds of applicants from top research institutes around the world applied to join the challenge. Four teams were selected for the final round held at Pinduoduo’s smart greenhouse base in Yunnan. The results of the competition are expected to be announced next month.
