The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) signed a tri-partite Letter of Intent with the World Food Programme and the Administrative Committee of Yangling Agricultural High-Tech Industry Demonstration Zone of China on the sideline of the 27th China Agricultural High-Tech Fair in Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China on 21 October 2020. The objective of the Letter of Intent is to strengthen mutual partnership and collaboration between the three institutions to contribute knowledge and expertise through enhancement of innovative and proven sustainable agricultural mechanization technologies and practices. The signing ceremony was also attended by Mr. Zhao Yide, Governor of Shaanxi Province, together with other senior officials from related agencies of Shaanxi Provincial Government.

Before the signing ceremony, Mr. Zhao Yide met with the delegates from ESCAP’s Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (CSAM) and the World Food Programme. During the meeting, Mr. Anshuman Varma, Deputy Head and Programme Officer of ESCAP-CSAM highlighted the vital role and significance of sustainable agricultural mechanization in contributing to the attainment of the relevant Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in the face of the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Furthermore, on the invitation of the Organizing Committee of the 27th Yangling Agricultural High-tech Fair, Mr. Anshuman Varma attended the 2020 Yangling International Agri-science Forum organized on 22 October and delivered remarks on behalf of ESCAP-CSAM. The Forum was jointly organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China and the Shaanxi Provincial Government alongside the 27th Yangling Agricultural High-tech Fair in Yangling.