On November 15-16, 2023, the 7th International Agricultural Research Conference was successfully convened in Guangzhou. The conference centered around the theme of "Deepening the Integration of Research and Industry, Constructing a New Pattern of Peripheral Diplomacy." Topics of discussion included international cooperation between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN, exchanges in agricultural science and technology between the mainland and Hong Kong/Macau, biological breeding, low-carbon agriculture, and carbon neutrality. Aiming at establishing a new, high-level platform for international agricultural cooperation while leveraging the Greater Bay Area and fostering regional bidirectional openness, the conference was jointly conducted with the 2023 Greater Bay Area (Guangdong) Agricultural Science and Technology Forum and the 28th Conference of International Collaboration Network of the National Agricultural Research Institutions.

Mr. Chen Liangxian, member of the Party Group of the People's Government of Guangdong Province, Prof. Sun Tan, Vice President of CAAS, Mr. Dou Penghui, Deputy Inspector of the Department of Science, Technology and Education of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, attended the opening ceremony. In his address, Prof. Sun Tan emphasized the significant impact of technological innovation on enhancing agricultural productivity, promoting agricultural industry reform, and contributing to rural revitalization. He highlighted the important role played by CAAS in international cooperation mechanisms, platform construction, collaborative research, and participation in global food security governance under the background of a new era and phase, and called for leveraging the opportunities presented by this conference to fully exploit the geographical and policy advantages of the Greater Bay Area. He mentioned utilizing multilateral, open, and shared cooperation platforms such as international cooperation in border-area agriculture, the China-Africa Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Alliance, and the FAO-CAAS Innovation Platform as focal points, so as to create synergy and coordination mechanisms, making greater contributions to the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Prof. Zhou Qingbo, Director General of the Agricultural Information Institute of CAAS, and Deputy Director General of the Center for International Agriculture Research (CIAR), unveiled the 2023 Think Tank Report of CIAR. The report introduced the four major product systems of the CIAR, research progress of global food security strategies, agricultural technology innovation, as well as the "Going Global" initiative. Additionally, it highlighted the flagship event of the FAO-CAAS Innovation Platform— the 2024 Youth Hackathon for Urban Agriculture. The report also covered innovations and upgrades in data integration governance within the public information service platform for agricultural cooperation.

The conference brought together experts from 14 countries and 40 organizations, who delivered keynote speeches and engaged in discussions that explored cutting-edge global agricultural technology innovation topics, shared experiences in agricultural technology industry collaboration and results transformation, exchanged the latest achievements in agricultural technology, and discussed global collaboration in agricultural technology innovation and sustainable development, so as to foster new momentum for global agricultural development.