(ECNS) – Eighteen young agri-entrepreneurs from eight countries recently gathered in Dali, southwest China's Yunnan Province, for the 2025 Digital Agriculture Innovation Bootcamp. The event was hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Zhejiang University, and Pinduoduo, a leading Chinese e-commerce platform.
Participants met up in the Shushang Xingnong Science and Technology Backyard and took part in a week-long program combining expert lectures, rural field visits, and cross-cultural exchange, with an aim to inspire innovation and promote global cooperation in building sustainable food systems through technology.
“We see the backyard as a global meeting point — a place where people from Peru to Ethiopia, from research labs in Hangzhou to farms in Yunnan, come together with a shared commitment to re-imagining how digital tools can better serve farmers and food systems,” said Hou Kaidi, vice president of Pinduoduo.
Hou underscored the importance of the bootcamp: "Behind technology is a deeper value — care and respect for farmers, for science, and for our shared future."
The bootcamp highlighted how digital platforms are transforming smallholder farming by improving access to markets and reducing production costs. Participants visited citrus and grape farms to learn about China's fertilization systems and tech-powered rural entrepreneurship.
“China is not only investing in infrastructure but also sharing knowledge and data, showing strong willingness to collaborate internationally,” said Dr. Nikola Trendov, digital agriculture innovation specialist at FAO.
For young agri-entrepreneurs, the trip offered insights into how China's digital agriculture model could be adapted elsewhere. Kalvince Otieno from Kenya noted that if similar platforms were available in his country, they could greatly reduce startup costs and trial-and-error risks. “A unified solution like Pinduoduo would boost confidence for young agri-founders in Africa,” he added.
Khalil Rashid, a Pakistani participant based in Germany, was struck by the widespread use of farm machinery in rural China. “China’s advances in efficiency and cost reduction are a global model,” he said.
“By channeling platform capabilities into the roots of agriculture, Pinduoduo is transforming innovation into something visible, accessible, and useful,” said Wei Longbao, Qiushi chair professor and director of the Institute of Food and Agribusiness Management at Zhejiang University.
Since 2019, Pinduoduo has supported over 600 youth-led agri-tech projects across 75 countries through competitions and training initiatives, aiming to unlock digital agriculture’s potential worldwide.
(By Huang Fang)
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