ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Experts attending a high-level workshop on Juncao technology here are calling for concerted efforts on the application of Juncao technology to advance sustainable agriculture in Africa.
The two-day high-level workshop, which was co-hosted by the Chinese Mission to the African Union (AU), the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and China National Engineering Research Center of Juncao Technology of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University (FAFU), opened Monday in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia.
The workshop gathered representatives from the UN, Chinese diplomats in Ethiopia, agricultural experts and officials from different African countries and China, among others.
Josefa Sacko, the AU commissioner for agriculture, rural development, blue economy and sustainable environment, in a message presented on her behalf, expressed the AU's strong support and readiness to partner with China in the application of the Juncao technology across Africa.
Noting the AU's ongoing efforts to promote medium-term options that improve the promotion of low-cost options toward food security, the commissioner underscored the application of Juncao technology as a viable initiative.
"The Juncao technology is a low-cost technology that will help us realize food security and reduce poverty among the rural poor in Africa. The technology's proven application in mushrooms production and animal feed, if taken into scale, will contribute to fighting malnutrition in the continent, which is rampant among the resource-poor households," she said.
The AU commissioner said the technology's ecological protection contribution complements the AU's efforts to create resilience against climate change.
The workshop, which was held under the theme "Application of Juncao technology and its contribution to the achievement of Sustainable Agriculture and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa," also features panel discussions on mobilizing Juncao technology in accelerating the implementation of the SDGs as well as strengthening capacities to access and use local resources for Juncao technology.
Hu Changchun, head of the Chinese Mission to the AU, said the workshop on Juncao Technology envisaged accelerating the implementation of the Global Development Initiative and deeply connecting with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the AU's Agenda 2063.
Juncao technology has been applied to many African countries such as South Africa, Madagascar, Tanzania and Nigeria. At present, Juncao technology demonstration bases have been established in Rwanda, Lesotho and the Central African Republic, according to the Chinese Mission to the AU.
Noting that the Juncao technology was officially included in the AU agricultural technology promotion framework in November this year, Hu expressed China's readiness and commitment to working with partners to promote the technology throughout the African continent.
He said to implement and effectively promote the application of Juncao technology in Africa, China is ready to strengthen cooperation in three major areas including supporting the implementation of Juncao "small yet smart" livelihood projects in Africa, innovating the mode of Juncao technology cooperation, and strengthening cooperation in capacity-building.
"China is willing to work with the UN DESA among other agencies to support the AU and African countries in building capacity in Juncao technology. We are willing to invite African officials and experts to China for training, send Chinese experts to Africa to provide field guidance, and promote direct cooperation between agricultural institutions of two sides," he said.
The workshop also featured special sessions on youth and women initiatives and stakeholders mapping in agriculture, science, technology and innovation, highlighting the promotion of youth and women engagement in the application of Juncao technology in Africa and beyond.
Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Ethiopia, underscored the need to exert concerted efforts among concerned actors toward the expansion of Juncao technology in Africa.
He said the technology offers a much-needed potential for African farmers to improve their food security while also creating income opportunities to improve their livelihood.
Alakbarov further underscored the crucial role of the workshop as it linked to issues that are important to developing countries, including eradication of poverty, reduction of hunger, use of renewable energy, promotion of employment, protection of the environment and responsiveness to climate change.
Developed by FAFU of China, the Juncao technology has allowed smallholder farmers to grow mushrooms from dried, chopped grasses, without cutting down trees and damaging the environment. The environmental-friendly technology helps small-scale farmers and communities to develop a low-cost, commercial-scale mushroom cultivation industry that can provide sustainable livelihood options for family farmers and rural entrepreneurs along agri-food value chains.
During the meeting, experts underscored that besides substituting for wood to grow mushrooms, Juncao grass is increasingly being used as livestock feed and in environmental protection, energy and fertilizer production. Juncao technology has also led to the emergence of a new industry that uses Juncao grass to produce fiberboard and paper.
