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The First China Agri-Business Forum 2012

Forum Theme and Background:

Agrifood in China: The Next Wave of Modernization

The advancement of productivity brought about by modern societies’ shift from agricultural to industrial production has caused drastic changes to economies and lifestyles across the globe. Where is the third phase of human civilization heading? Could it be a return to agricultural civilization? As the world’s largest agricultural nation and an emerging industrial power, China’s growth has implications for agricultural producers, consumers and policy makers around the world. While the establishment of markets for agricultural inputs and outputs has helped China raise agricultural production over the last 30 years, the growth of agricultural productivity has been slowing, suggesting that the potential for achieving further efficiency from market-based reforms is now diminishing. The country faces stiff challenges that will be difficult to resolve. What is the best way to solve the Three Rural Issues (agriculture, farmers, and rural areas)? How can China’s increasingly scarce land resources be managed effectively? How should we integrate small-scale agricultural operations? How can modern agricultural technologies be further developed and utilized? How can companies improve food safety to better meet consumer expectations? And how best to drive the capital input to enable agricultural reform? The CEIBS Agri-Business Forum 2012, the first of its kind, will bring together a diverse set of stakeholders from across the agrifood sector to share insights and perspectives on these key issues.