Chinese farming model benefits Global South

In the sun-drenched fields of Quzhou county, Hebei province, Chinese agricultural expertise is being taught to students from Africa, giving them practical experience in improving farming techniques that they can then take back home.

Working alongside agriculturalists and local farmers, these students are participating in a food security and poverty alleviation model developed to benefit China, and now being rolled out for other developing nations facing similar challenges.

The Science and Technology Backyard program, a farming development model pioneered by China Agricultural University in Quzhou since 2009, is an integrated agricultural innovation, research and rural service model where university researchers and graduate students live, work and conduct field experiments directly inside farming communities.

Following the success of the program in China, the university has sought to extend its experience to fellow developing countries by inviting overseas students to explore solutions to farming challenges.

Learning to drive tractors, take soil samples and test farming techniques in the field, the students explore practical solutions to the food security and livelihood challenges facing farmers back home.

The program underscores China's contribution to agricultural development in the Global South by combining China's farming experience with local knowledge and practices to build longer-term capacity and help developing countries address hunger and poverty.