Under an agreement between the Chinese government and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), China will provide further technical assistance to rural communities in developing countries to improve food security. A document in this regard was signed by Zhang Baowen, Vice Minister for Agriculture, China and Jacques Diouf, Director General, FAO in Jakarta, Indonesia, last year. Under the agreement, China will provide the services of about 3 000 agricultural experts and technical persons to the developing countries to help small-scale farmers and fishers. The Chinese experts to be deployed will be in the fields of irrigation, livestock, fisheries and post-harvest handing. 

The deal is part of the South-South Cooperation Initiative, which aims to strengthen economic relations among developing countries to improve their agricultural productivity and ensures access to food for all. South-South Cooperation is also part of FAO’s special programme for food security designed to improve lives in some of the poorest countries by increasing food production and accessibility and reducing vulnerability to climatic conditions such as drought and floods.  China is considered as a major provider of South-South Cooperation experts and has already signed various agreements with Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria and 14 island developing nations. Currently, over 100 countries are taking part in the South-South programme with more than 600 experts and technical persons working with rural communities in over 30 countries.