To promote IntegratedAgro-Industrial Park (IAIP) investment opportunities and deepen understanding of IAIP management in China, a delegation from Ethiopia visited China from 22-26 April. The mission was part of an ongoing collaboration between UNIDO and the Ministry of Industry of Ethiopia, and also supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and EU Delegation. Throughout the week, the mission visited a series of Agro-Industry Parks in Beijing aimed at insightful learning exchanges and identifying collaboration synergies.
Stephen Kargbo, Representative and Head of the UNIDO Regional Office in China, noted that “China has achieved great success in recent decades in rural development and industrialization. Therefore, this study serves as a great opportunity to interact with actors in local agro-industrial parks and learn from China’s experience. UNIDO China is glad to provide concrete and tangible support.”
During the visits to National Crop Gene Bank, National Agricultural Science & Technology Park and Pinggu National Agriculture Science & Technology Park, the delegation gained development knowledge on Smart Agriculture and Innovative Agriculture. At an exchange session with Beijing Jingwa Agriculture Science & Technology Innovation Centre and representatives from two private companies, discussions focused on Agro-Industry Parks management experience sharing, and exploration on reaching concrete collaboration outcomes.
The delegation also paid visits to industrial parks focused on production and processing, including Daxing Biomedicine Industrial Base, the Arctic Ocean Culture Park, as well as high-tech industrial parks such as JA Solar, Beijing China-Germany Industrial Park. During the visits, the delegation had extensive exposure and in-depth explanation of application scenarios and management experience of the parks.
Under the leadership of its Director General, Mr. Gerd Müller, UNIDO continues its effort to promote agro-industry development in Ethiopia and several other countries and Africa, Asia and Latin America. In February 2024, China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), Ministry of Industry of Ethiopia and UNIDO signed a joint declaration for tripartite cooperation, which expresses the intent to advance the Global Development Initiative, thereby accelerating the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In November 2024, the World Without Hunger Conference will be co-organized by UNIDO in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. UNIDO will continue to contribute to combat hunger and food security issues.
As Ethiopia has officially joined BRICS, and the nineth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation will be held in autumn this year in China, UNIDO stands ready to play its role in promoting the development and cooperation between China and the global south, mainly through South-South and Triangular Industrial Cooperation.
Source:UNIDO
