Forging strong China-Africa collaborations in technology and innovation is seen as vital to transforming Africa’s food systems in the face of mounting challenges such as climate change, pest outbreaks, disease pressures, and soil degradation, according to scientists and industry experts.
During a side event titled “Building Bridges” at the ongoing CGIAR Science Week in Nairobi, experts emphasized that adopting technologies in plant breeding, pest management, and irrigation is essential for tackling Africa’s persistent hunger crisis.
The event was organized by CGIAR, in partnership with several organizations including BGI Group, a global leader in life sciences and genomics. The gathering focused on expanding cooperation in agriculture and biodiversity conservation between China and Africa.
Ismahane Elouafi, Managing Director of CGIAR, highlighted the urgent need to deploy artificial intelligence (AI), genomics, and nanotechnology to enhance food production on the continent, which is grappling with climate-induced hunger and malnutrition. She noted that reducing Africa’s food import bill—currently at $100 billion annually—requires targeted investments in soil health, water resource management, and the development of high-yield crop varieties.
Elouafi stressed that South-South cooperation, particularly with China, offers promising pathways for Africa to scale up domestic food production and increase agricultural exports. She welcomed the presence of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and BGI Group at the conference as a reaffirmation of the growing importance of Sino-African partnerships in driving agricultural transformation.
Wang Jian, Co-founder and Chairman of the Board at BGI Group, emphasized that the organization’s advanced sequencing technology and AI modeling capabilities enable the digitization of millions of germplasm samples collected globally—paving the way for smarter crop development.
Xu Xun, Director of BGI-Research, added that deeper collaboration with CGIAR will accelerate germplasm digitization, fast-track climate-resilient crop breeding, and enhance the resilience of food systems in Africa and other developing regions. He said BGI’s technologies are already helping to digitize seed systems, a move that could inject renewed vitality into agricultural production across the Global South.
Source: Xinhua News Agency
