The 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) was held from 2 to 7 September in Beijing in a hybrid modality of online and offline activities.

Mr. Anshuman Varma, Programme Officer and Deputy Head of CSAM, attended and delivered a keynote speech at the “International Forum on Development and Investment of Modern Supply Chain of Food” which was organized on 5 September on the theme of ‘Strengthening the Resilience of Supply Chain, Building Global Food Security Together’.

Earlier in the day, during the opening session, the Forum was addressed by the Administrator of the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration of China, the Deputy Mayor of Beijing Municipality, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in China, the Deputy Director-General of the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE), and Ambassadors/ representatives from the diplomatic community. Representatives from the UN Country Team in China and professionals from academia and enterprises also delivered keynote speeches. An ‘International Modern Food Supply Chain Alliance’ was inaugurated to safeguard and meet the ever-growing demand for stable, healthy and sustainable food resources ensuring effective food supply chain management in challenging contexts.

In his speech, Mr. Varma highlighted the importance of applying agricultural mechanization through a sustainable approach to build modern, inclusive and resilient food supply chains that are able to cope with present and future challenges to food security such as the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. Underscoring the role that international cooperation can play towards achieving this goal, he recalled CSAM’s activities and efforts focused on assisting member States to progress towards the relevant SDGs; serving as a regional exchange hub on sustainable agricultural mechanization; providing technical and policy-oriented training to a wide range of stakeholders; promoting more integrated regional trade in agricultural machinery through analytical work and developing harmonized regional standards for testing of the machinery; and enabling South-South and triangular cooperation and multi-stakeholder partnerships to upscale reach and impact.

The 2021 CIFTIS was co-hosted by the Ministry of Commerce of China and the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality. This year’s focus on digital economy and trade was covered through eight thematic sections, including telecommunications, computer and information services, finance services, culture & tourism services, education services, sports services, supply chain and business services, project consulting and construction services, and healthcare services.