Visit of FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu to BGI Group

On January 4, 2025, Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), visited the BGI Group Global Headquarters at the BGI Time & Space Center. He was accompanied by Zhang Luyuan, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of China to the FAO, Liu Xianwu, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and Liu Zonghui, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. The delegation was received by Wang Jian, Chairman and Co-founder of BGI Group; Yin Ye, Chief Executive Officer of BGI Group; Mei Yonghong, Executive Director of BGI Group; Li Ning, Vice President of BGI Group; Liu Huan, General Manager of BGI Bioverse; and Hu Fengyi, Chief Scientist of Perennial Rice at Yunnan University.

During the visit, Director-General Qu Dongyu gained an in-depth understanding of BGI Group’s progress in the breeding and global promotion of perennial crops, as well as its related research in the agricultural sector. He spoke highly of BGI’s major innovative breakthroughs in life sciences in recent years, particularly its achievements in agriculture. The two sides reached a preliminary consensus on promoting the establishment of an International Perennial Crops Research Center, aiming to help address global challenges such as climate change, desertification, and food security.

In December 2022, Wang Jian had previously led a delegation to visit the FAO headquarters in Rome, where they held discussions with Director-General Qu Dongyu and then Chief Scientist Ismahane on issues related to agricultural development. Looking ahead, BGI will continue to advance international cooperation in agriculture, promote the integrated innovation of agricultural technologies, and contribute to elevating global agriculture to new heights.