On November 6th, the 16th Belt and Road Eco-Agriculture and Food Safety Forum was successfully held in Shanghai as a concurrent event of the 6th China International Import Expo. The forum was hosted by the State Administration for Market Regulation and co-organized by the Shanghai Municipal Administration for Market Regulation, the Development Research Center of the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the Secretariat of the Belt and Road Eco-Agriculture and Food Safety Forum. Wu Da, Deputy Director of Bureau of Import and Export Food Safety of the General Administration of Customs, attended the forum opening ceremony and presided over the theme forum 2.

Wu Da, Deputy Director of Bureau of Import and Export Food Safety of the General Administration of Customs,  presided over the theme forum 2

Wu Da stated that the development of the dairy industry is crucial for national welfare and people’s livelihood. Dairy products, as indispensable major food items, play a significant role in practicing the concept of an all-encompassing approach to food. Branding is a direct representation of an industry or an enterprise’s external image. We should vigorously promote the construction of regional public brands, product brands, and corporate brands in the dairy industry, strengthen the effect of existing brands, encourage the cultivation of new brands, and continuously expand the influence of China’s dairy industry. Strengthening brand construction and enhancing the influence and competitiveness of our country’s brands are important measures to promote high-quality development in the dairy industry.

The theme of the forum is, ‘Deepening the Belt and Road Cooperation in Agriculture and Food: Jointly Creating a Better Life for Humanity.’ Leaders from the State Administration for Market Regulation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, National Health Commission, General Administration of Customs, as well as leaders from Shanghai, Henan, Hainan, and other provincial governments, representatives of provincial market supervision departments, representatives of relevant United Nations organizations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and embassies of South Africa, the Netherlands, Colombia, Sri Lanka, Bulgaria, Tanzania, Senegal, among others, along with over 400 delegates from domestic and international enterprises, participated in the forum. Guests collectively deliberated on agricultural cooperation and food industry development, contributing insights and strategies for the high-quality development of agriculture and food industries in the Belt and Road Initiative, highlighting the role of the forum as a platform for policy interpretation.

 
2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the proposal of the Belt and Road Initiative and the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Eco-Agriculture and Food Safety Forum. Over the past decade, the forum has been successfully held for 15 sessions within the framework of the National Food Safety Publicity Week and the China International Import Expo. The forum has solidly promoted high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road, extensively conducted exchanges and cooperation in the agricultural and food industries, played a significant role in the development and safety of agricultural food industries in the countries along the route, and facilitated smooth international trade among the Belt and Road countries.