A wave of enthusiasm and a flurry of initiatives are sweeping through the agricultural technology sector! Partnering with “Big Tech” could soon lead to major developments.

Recently, the agricultural science and technology sector has been abuzz, with a flurry of initiatives and major policy moves on the horizon. Before we delve into those developments, let’s first take a look at the situation: on September 24 and 25, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs held back-to-back working meetings with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences is the highest institution for science and technology in China, while the Chinese Academy of Engineering is the premier academic body in the field of engineering and technological sciences. Fellowship in both academies constitutes the nation’s highest academic honors in the realms of science and technology and engineering.

On June 24 this year, General Secretary Xi Jinping explicitly stated at the National Science and Technology Conference, the National Science and Technology Awards Conference, and the Joint Academic Conference of the Academies of Sciences and Engineering that it is essential to “fully leverage the strengths of the new whole-nation system and accelerate progress toward high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening,” and to “solidly promote the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation, thereby bolstering the development of new‑type productive forces.”

These requirements are addressed not only to scientific and technological professionals nationwide, including academicians of the two academies, but also to the entire Party and society at large; they call for advancing scientific and technological innovation in agriculture and fostering new drivers of productivity, while also emphasizing how basic and cutting-edge science and technology can better serve industry.

This round of talks between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Chinese Academy of Engineering exemplifies the three institutions’ concerted efforts to align with the guiding principles set forth by General Secretary Xi Jinping, proactively coordinating and strategically planning.

At the Chinese Academy of Sciences, both sides emphasized addressing major national needs by focusing on fundamental, systemic, strategic, and forward-looking agricultural science and technology challenges, pooling superior resources to overcome critical bottlenecks in modern agricultural development, and effectively answering the “essential question” of using science and technology to underpin the building of a strong agricultural nation.

With regard to strengthening original innovation in agricultural science and technology and fostering synergistic collaborative efforts, we will deepen cooperation on key core technological challenges in agriculture, major projects in biological breeding, and the National Key R&D Program, thereby increasing the supply of high‑quality scientific and technological achievements and accelerating the development of new, high‑quality productive forces in agriculture.

It also addressed leveraging the Chinese Academy of Sciences as a think tank, strengthening the development of science and technology infrastructure platforms, promoting the open sharing of innovation resources, and bolstering talent cultivation and recruitment, among other initiatives.

At the Chinese Academy of Engineering, both sides stated that they will focus on implementing national strategies and addressing major strategic needs in the agricultural sector. They will jointly conduct strategic and forward-looking research, establish thematic projects centered on ensuring a stable and secure supply of food and key agricultural products, accelerating the development of a strong agricultural nation, and comprehensively advancing rural revitalization, and collaboratively undertake studies on major strategies and policies to achieve more landmark outcomes.

We will support Chinese Academy of Engineering academicians and experts in taking on more responsibilities in tackling key core agricultural technologies, implementing major bio-breeding projects, and participating in the National Key R&D Program, thereby jointly advancing the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation and ensuring that agricultural research outcomes are translated into practical applications more effectively and swiftly.

With regard to the next steps in deepening exchanges and cooperation, both sides stated that they will further leverage the role of national strategic scientific and technological forces and the multidisciplinary, cross-sectoral intellectual strengths of the broader academician community. They will jointly conduct strategic advisory studies and undertake collaborative technological breakthroughs, while working together to advance initiatives such as agricultural science talent development, the establishment of national laboratories, and the implementation of key national research and development programs. Both sides will establish a mechanism for regular communication and coordination, fostering a closer, more integrated partnership.

From these two rounds of talks, it is evident that the next phase of agricultural science and technology integration with “big science” will likely focus on three key areas:

First is demand-driven.

Ultimately, science and technology must serve economic and social development; therefore, their advancement must be firmly aligned with the nation’s major strategic priorities.

Different sectors have distinct responsibilities aligned with national strategic priorities. For work related to agriculture, rural areas, and farmers, the most pressing tasks at present are ensuring a stable and secure supply of grain and key agricultural products, accelerating the development of a strong agricultural nation, and comprehensively advancing rural revitalization.

For example, in the area of saline‑alkali land reclamation and utilization, in October 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited the Yellow River Delta Agricultural High‑Tech Industrial Demonstration Zone in Dongying, Shandong, where he conducted a special inspection of the development of salt‑tolerant and alkali‑tolerant crops. In July 2023, at the second meeting of the 20th Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission, it was also noted that “Dongying in Shandong and Cangzhou in Hebei are typical regions of coastal saline‑alkali land.” Furthermore, he pointed out that China has extensive areas of saline‑alkali land, with the trend of soil salinization and alkalization intensifying in some regions, underscoring the great significance of carrying out comprehensive rehabilitation and sustainable utilization of such lands.

It is evident that science and technology serving these major strategic needs will be the key priorities of the future.

Second, it is problem-oriented.

When problems arise, they are solved. This is both the direct driving force behind reform and development and the tangible outcome that scientific and technological innovation can deliver.

In the current development of “agriculture, rural areas, and farmers,” whether compared with advanced international standards or aligned with actual development needs, several critical bottlenecks urgently require breakthroughs. The most obvious examples include gaps in seed resources and breeding technologies, dependence on foreign suppliers for core components of agricultural machinery, and insufficient application of smart agriculture technologies.

“Being ‘choked’” describes the current situation: a sharply problem‑oriented approach places considerable pressure on scientific and technological innovation, yet it will also serve as its greatest source of momentum. Looking ahead, once the “chokepoint” issues are resolved, a wave of vigorous progress will surge forward, ushering in a new round of explosive growth across industries—offering researchers both the highest value and the most significant opportunities.

Third is cross‑integration.

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out at the National Science and Technology Conference: “At present, a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is advancing in depth. Scientific research is expanding into the extreme macroscopic realm, delving into the extreme microscopic domain, venturing into extreme conditions, and forging ahead through extreme interdisciplinary integration, continuously pushing the boundaries of human understanding.” This is an exceptionally profound assessment of the current scientific and technological revolution.

The same holds true in agriculture: agricultural science and technology is by no means confined to the realm of “agriculture” alone; it is invariably closely intertwined with “big science.” The integration of Beidou navigation, flight control, and sensor technologies into farming has given rise to a new agricultural paradigm—drones for pesticide application. Meanwhile, advances in biotechnologies such as genome sequencing and gene editing, coupled with the emergence of high-throughput, intelligent molecular‑testing instruments, have boosted the efficiency of traditional breeding by orders of magnitude.

Agricultural science and technology cannot do without the support of “big science,” while the industrial application of fundamental and cutting-edge technologies likewise relies on agriculture—a vast, geographically expansive sector characterized by diverse business models.

Agricultural science and technology, together with “big science,” hold a promising future!

Source: People’s Daily (Agriculture Edition)