On January 4, 2025, Qu Dongyu, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, and his delegation visited BGI Center, the global headquarters of BGI Group in Shenzhen, China.

Group photo of BGI Group executives and the visiting delegation.

The delegation was warmly received by Wang Jian, Co-founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of BGI Group; Yin Ye, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of BGI Group; Mei Yonghong, Executive Director of BGI Group; Li Ning,Vice President of BGI Group; Liu Huan, General Manager of BGI Bioverse; Hu Fengyi, Chief Scientist of Perennial Rice at Yunnan University, and other BGI Group executives.

During the visit, Director-General Qu Dongyu gained an in-depth understanding of BGI Group’s progress in the cultivation and global promotion of perennial crops, as well as its broader research efforts in agriculture. He expressed recognition of BGI’s significant innovations in life sciences over recent years, particularly its achievements in the agricultural sector. Both parties reached a preliminary agreement to establish an international research center for perennial crops, aiming to address global challenges such as climate change, desertification, and food security.

This visit follows a December 2022 trip by Wang Jian to FAO’s headquarters in Rome, where he met with Director-General Qu Dongyu and former Chief Scientist Ismahane Elouafi to discuss key issues in agricultural development.

BGI Bioverse, a subsidiary of BGI Group, is collaborating with Yunnan University in advancing the technology and development of perennial rice globally. Moving forward, BGI Group remains committed to fostering international collaboration in agriculture, advancing the integration of agricultural technologies, and contributing to the future of global agriculture.