International Study Tour on Juncao Technology: Concrete Contributions of Juncao Technology to Supporting Poverty Eradication, Employment Creation, and Sustainable Development in Developing Countries
Fri 16 May 2025, 8.30 am — Mon 19 May 2025, 6.00 pm
Background
The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) collaborated with the National Engineering Research Centre for Juncao Technology at Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University (FAFU) in the People’s Republic of China, under the UN Peace and Development Trust Fund, on a project titled “Enhancing the Capacity of Developing Countries to Achieve Sustainable Agriculture through the Transfer of Juncao Technology for Alleviating Poverty and Promoting Productive Employment.”
This initiative supported efforts to accelerate progress toward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly in areas such as poverty eradication, hunger reduction, renewable energy use, employment generation, women’s and youth empowerment, environmental protection, and climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Juncao technology, transferred to developing countries through South-South cooperation and upon request, enabled farmers to cultivate various edible and medicinal mushrooms using dried, chopped grasses—without the need to cut down trees or harm the environment. This environmentally friendly approach offered small-scale farmers a low-cost, scalable method for mushroom production, thereby increasing household incomes and improving livelihoods. Additionally, the technology could be applied to produce livestock feed, generate methane gas, reduce soil erosion, and combat desertification. As such, the transfer of Juncao technology and related capacity-building efforts contributed significantly to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
A study tour was organized to enhance learning, strengthen knowledge, and build the skills of government officials, experts, and academics along the agricultural value chain in relation to the adoption and implementation of Juncao technology in both current and prospective UNDESA project countries. The workshop brought together nearly 60 international participants from several developing nations, along with experts from FAFU. National delegations included representatives from various government ministries, academic institutions, research organizations, smallholder farmers, and entrepreneurs.
Within the framework of the 2030 Agenda, the study tour highlighted the value of South-South and Triangular Cooperation in expanding access to science, technology, and innovation, fostering knowledge exchange, and building capacity to effectively advance the SDGs.
Announcements
Multi-stakeholder partnerships
Poverty eradication
Rural Development
