China hosts global FAO workshop on value chains of tropical agricultural products

Hainan, China, Bangkok– More than 40 government representatives, technical experts and development partners from tropical countries across Africa, Asia, the Near East, Latin America and the Caribbean are gathering in Hainan, China, from 3 to 8 August for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Global Technical Workshop on Tropical Special Agricultural Products, held under the auspices of the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) flagship initiative and the FAO-China South-South Cooperation (SSC) Programme.  The focus of the global workshop is the exploration of how tropical crops can contribute to agrifood systems transformation for enhanced food security and nutrition and sustainable rural development. Co-organized by FAO’s OCOP Secretariat and the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS), the event aims to strengthen technical capacities, promote knowledge exchange and support countries in developing value chains of priority Special Agricultural Products (SAPs).  In a video message delivered at the opening ceremony, Alue Dohong, Assistant Director-General and FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific said, “collaboration with leading regional science and innovation partners has been instrumental to the successful implementation of OCOP in Asia and the Pacific.”  Lu Sheng, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Hainan Province, welcomed participants...