Li Xiande elected member of the FAO Scientific Committee on Globally Important Agricultural Cultural Heritage

Source: Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Author: Qian Chen

recently, appointed by the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), researcher Li Xiande of the Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences was elected as a member of the Scientific Committee of the Global Important Agricultural Cultural Heritage (GIAHS) of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization for a term of two years. The Scientific Committee is composed of nine members, and researcher Li Xiande is the only Chinese member. The main responsibility of the committee is to identify, evaluate and select important agricultural cultural heritage sites in the world, and provide technical guidance for their protection and development.

Up to now, FAO has identified 62 important global agricultural cultural heritage sites in 22 countries, of which 15 are in China, ranking first in the world. The world's important agricultural cultural heritage sites have beautiful and magnificent human and natural landscapes, which play a unique role in maintaining the livelihoods of small farmers and ensuring food security, protecting biodiversity, and inheriting traditional farming culture.

Professor Li Xiande has served as a member of the United Nations High-level Expert Group in the field of food security for two consecutive times (2017-2021). He is currently the director of the International Agricultural Economics and Trade Research Office of the Institute of Agricultural Economics, and the chief of the international agricultural economy and trade innovation team. He has been committed to the research work in related fields such as global food security, agricultural cultural heritage, international agricultural rules, and agricultural product trade for a long time, participated in the consultation and negotiation of important international instruments such as the "Voluntary Guidelines for the Responsible Governance of Land, Fisheries and Forest Tenition within the Scope of National Food Security" and the "Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems" led by the United Nations Food Security Committee. (Correspondent: Liu Jinjing)