Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good Morning!

    It is my great honor and pleasure to be here at the 17th China Yangling Agricultural Hi-Tech Fair and as invited by the Organizer to deliver an opening remarks on behalf of all the international participants.

    As the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Representative in China, I always advocate and encourage global partnerships involving national, international, public, private and voluntary sectors to meet the challenge of food security.

    Therefore attending this Agricultural High-Tech Fair jointly organized by China’s 19 Ministries and the People's Government of Shaanxi Province every year which draws tens of thousands of agricultural enterprises, scientific and educational institutions and agencies from more than 40 countries and regions with 15 million participants ever since 1994 is indeed a pleasure.

    Agriculture still has the responsibility to feed the world in spite of the current climate change. Developing countries must become “climate smart” in order to cope with the combined challenge of feeding a warmer, more heavily populated world, says a new FAO report.

    Climate change is expected to reduce agriculture productivity, stability and incomes in many areas that already experience high levels of food insecurity — yet world agriculture production will need to increase by 70 percent over the coming four decades in order to meet the food requirements of growing world population, according to FAO.

    Increasing agricultural production, reducing post harvest losses, and improving food distribution channels in the developing world have always been major challenges. Climate change raises the bar significantly — a major transformation of agriculture is needed.

    Agriculture needs to produce more food, waste less, and make it easier for farmers to get their produce to consumers. Finally, agriculture has to find ways to reduce its environmental impacts — including lowering its own greenhouse gas emissions — without compromising food security and rural development. All these are only possible through high technology which makes this Fair even more important.

    Congratulations to the Governments of Shaanxi Province and Yangling Hi-Tech Demonstration Zone.

    I wish the Fair a complete success!

    Thank you!

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    各位来宾，女士们，先生们，

    大家早上好！

    能代表所有国外来宾站在这儿为第17届中国杨凌农业高新科技博览会致开幕辞，我感到十分的荣耀，也感到非常高兴！

    作为联合国粮农组织驻中国总代表，我一直呼吁各国政府、国际组织携起手来，共同应对粮食安全带来的挑战。

    中国杨凌农高会由中国19个部委和陕西省人民政府联合举办，自1994年创办以来，每年都会吸引来自40多个国家和地区数以万计的涉农企业、科研及教育机构参展，参会人数达到一千五百万。因此，能参加这样的盛会，我感到非常开心。

    尽管面临着气候变化的严峻挑战，农业仍然肩负着养活全世界的责任。一份新的粮农组织报告指出：发展中国家必须变成‘气候精英’才能迎接气候不断变暖、人口剧增的世界带来的多重挑战。

    气候变化将会使农业减产、影响农业的稳定性及收入，而许多地区已经经历了粮食短缺的威胁。但是，粮农组织的研究报告预测：只有全世界的粮食生产在未来的40年增长70%，才能满足全世界不断增长的人口需要。

    发展中国家面临的主要挑战就是提高农业生产、减少收割后的损失，提高粮食分配渠道，而气候变化使形势变得更为严峻。因此，农业生产方式的转变是必需的。

    农业需要生产更多的粮食，减少粮食浪费，能让农民将他们生产的粮食轻松地送到消费者手中。最后，农业还必须寻找以下途径去减少环境变化给农业带来的负面影响：包括减少温室气体排放、统筹粮食安全与农村发展，而这一切只有通过农业高新科技的发展才有可能实现。因此，举办中国杨凌农业高新科技博览会这样的盛会就具有更为重要的意义。

    我要代表所有国外来宾向陕西省人民政府、向杨凌农业高新技术产业示范区表示祝贺。

    希望此次盛会圆满成功！

    谢谢！