The year 2026 marks the 40th anniversary of the invention of Juncao technology, a groundbreaking
innovation developed in 1986 by Prof. Lin Zhanxi of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University
(FAFU). Over the past four decades, Juncao technology has evolved into an important model of
South-South cooperation, sustainable agriculture, ecological restoration and rural development,
benefiting communities across Asia, Africa, the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Originally developed as a scientific solution to the global “fungi-forest conflict,” Juncao technology
enables the cultivation of edible and medicinal mushrooms using herbaceous grasses instead of
wood logs, thereby reducing deforestation and promoting environmentally sustainable production
systems. Beyond mushroom cultivation, the technology has expanded into multiple applications
including livestock feed production, soil and water conservation, saline-alkali land rehabilitation,
methane production, desertification control, climate adaptation, and ecological restoration.
The Symposium is convened in the broader context of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly goals
related to poverty eradication, food security, employment generation, climate resilience,
environmental protection, and sustainable livelihoods. It also contributes to the objectives of the
Global Development Initiative and the Pact for the Future by promoting science, technology and
innovation through South-South and triangular cooperation.
Since 2017, UNDESA, through the United Nations Peace and Development Trust Fund and in
partnership with the National Engineering Research Centre for Juncao Technology at FAFU, has
supported the transfer of Juncao technology to developing countries through capacity-building
workshops, policy dialogues, demonstration projects, and technical training programmes. During
the first and second phases of the project, thousands of policymakers, researchers, technicians and
farmers participated in training and demonstration activities across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin
America and the Caribbean.
The 21st International Symposium on Juncao Technology and Industry Development will therefore
serve as both a commemorative and forward-looking platform to review the achievements of Juncao
technology over the past 40 years and to explore its expanding role in advancing sustainable development,
climate resilience and inclusive economic growth, particularly in developing countries.
