South-South Cooperation Capacity Building | China Experience Helps Ethiopian Rural Transformation

From April 21 to 27, 2025, the China Office of the United Nations World Food Programme organized an Ethiopian delegation on rural development and rural transformation to visit China for a seven-day study and exchange. The delegation was composed of officials and professionals from the Ethiopian Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Planning and Development, and the Agricultural Transformation Research Institute. It went to Beijing, Zhangjiakou, Hebei, Danyang, Jiangsu, Hangzhou, Zhejiang and Lishui to inspect China's innovative practices in agricultural modernization and rural transformation.

Theoretical Discussion and Policy Dialogue
On April 21st, the delegation arrived in Beijing to attend the symposium on "Agricultural Development and Rural Transformation in China" held in the United Nations Building. Li Xiaoyun, a senior professor of liberal arts at China Agricultural University, Du Zhixiong, a researcher at the Rural Development Institute, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Li Xiande, a researcher at the Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development,CAAS, shared the experience of rural development, policy evolution and rural transformation in China to help the delegation systematically understand the theory and practical experience of rural development in China. The delegation also had in-depth exchanges with China Agricultural Machinery Distribution Association on issues such as the development and application of agricultural mechanization, the purchase subsidy policy of agricultural machinery, and the international trade of agricultural machinery in China.

Characteristic Industry and Digital Village
In Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province, the delegation inspected the development of the whole millet industry chain of Xuntian Agricultural Co., Ltd. and discussed the promotion prospect of millet in Ethiopia. In the Alibaba Digital Talent Base in Zhangbei County, the delegation learned more about the innovative mode of digital technology empowering rural talents training under the introduction of rural commissioners. In addition, the delegation also visited the model village in Zhangbei County to learn about the successful experience and concrete practice of precision poverty alleviation and rural revitalization in China.

Modernization of Agricultural Machinery and Integration of Tertiary Industry
In Danyang, Jiangsu, the delegation visited Jiangsu Wode High Tech Agricultural Equipment Co., Ltd. to observe the modern agricultural machinery production line of agricultural mechanization equipment in the whole process. In many towns and villages in Danyang, the delegation went deep into villages, family farms and private enterprises, and inspected various rural transformation practices, such as the integration development model of three industries, the integration development of agriculture, culture and tourism, the new agricultural business entities, the application of agricultural modernization and mechanization, and the primary and deep processing of agricultural products, and had in-depth exchanges with grassroots agricultural workers in China.

E-commerce Empowerment and Characteristic Agriculture
In Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, the delegation visited China Academy for Rural Development, Zhejiang University, and held in-depth discussions with Mao Rui, vice president of the institute, experts and scholars on issues such as rural e-commerce helping small farmers develop and improving farmers' organization. At the headquarters of Alibaba Group, the delegation learned the innovative model and practical results of the integrated development of e-commerce platform and agriculture and rural areas.

The delegation visited China Academy for Rural Development, Zhejiang University and visited and exchanged ideas at Alibaba Group headquarters. Picture © Zhejiang University/Alibaba

In Lishui, Zhejiang Province, the delegation went into the "Gaoshan Vegetable Box Horse Village" in Jingning County, and learned the practical experience of brand operation of characteristic agricultural products under the guidance of Alibaba's rural Commissioner. In the terraced rice planting area and seedling center of Yunhe County, the delegation observed innovative planting technology, agricultural waste recycling and digital agriculture application and other sustainable development measures, and intuitively felt the green development path of agriculture in China.

At the end of the inspection tour, Getachew Janfa Diriba, senior consultant and chief coordinator of the food system transformation of Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture, felt that China's development achievements in the past 40 years were shocking, and its experience in agricultural and rural transformation was worth learning from. Mandefro Nigussie Woldemariam, Executive Dean of the Agricultural Transformation Research Institute of Ethiopia's Ministry of Agriculture, said that the visit was fruitful and the experience learned in China would be integrated into the formulation of rural transformation strategy in Ethiopia.
Through field visits, seminars, experience sharing and other forms, this investigation showed the practical achievements of agricultural and rural development in China, which further promoted the cooperation between China and Egypt in the agricultural field. In the future, WFP will continue to promote the sharing of experience in agriculture through the Center of Excellence for Rural Transformation, and help achieve the UN sustainable development goals.

Source: Hebei Provincial Foreign Experts Bureau