On 12 May 2025, a delegation from the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), led by Deputy Director General and Political Director of the Sino-German Agricultural Centre (DCZ), Mr. Keyserlingk, met with representatives of the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) in Beijing.
The annual Project Steering Committee (PSC) meeting was hosted by Ms. GUO Naying, Deputy Director General of MARA’s Department of International Cooperation and Political Director of the DCZ on the Chinese side. Participants included key partners from the Foreign Economic Cooperation Center (FECC) of MARA, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), the German Embassy, GFA Consulting Group, IAK Agrar Consulting, and the DCZ team.
DCZ Directors Mr. Wang Geng and Dr. Jürgen Ritter presented the Centre’s key achievements of the past year and outlined the workplan for 2025. The presentation provided an overview of DCZ activities in policy dialogue, scientific cooperation, and business exchange, and served as a basis for identifying future priorities.
During the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their strong commitment to continued bilateral cooperation and outlined a joint agenda for the sustainable transformation of the agri-food system. Discussions focused on strategies to promote a modern agricultural sector that is not only more productive, but also environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive.
Key areas for future cooperation identified by both ministries include food security, agroecology, smart agriculture, and rural development. In particular, smart technologies were highlighted as a promising approach to improving agricultural efficiency while protecting ecosystems and biodiversity.
The PSC meeting also addressed opportunities for new cooperation projects in agroecology, preparations for the upcoming 11th Sino-German Agricultural Week, and further use of the DCZ as a platform to engage additional partners from science, policy, and the private sector in joint innovation and collaboration.
Following the meeting, the delegation toured the DCZ office and visited the Agricultural Silicon Valley in Beijing’s Pinggu District — a demonstration zone based on close cooperation between government, science, and business. At the Jingwa Center, participants visited demonstration sites for horticulture and orchards, where new technologies and crop varieties, including contributions from European and German partners, are being tested to reduce chemical inputs, conserve water resources, and close nutrient cycles.
