CAAS-CGIAR Media Workshop for Science Communications April 2006

Following up on a request from the Chinese government in April 2005, the CGIAR held its second Media Workshop for Science Communications in China from April 2 – 5, 2006. Its aim was to further strengthen media coverage of science and agricultural issues in China, and to develop the skills of mid-career journalists from China who report on science in the print, electronic and radio media.

The workshop, sponsored by the CGIAR Marketing Group, was a joint effort between the CGIAR, the Chinese Academy for Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), IRRI, CIMMYT, IPGRI, ILRI and CIP. Trainers Jianke Jiang from the People's Daily and Jian Fan from Science and Technology Daily led the classroom discussions and provided dynamic training in science communications. The workshop was attended by eight mid-career Chinese journalists from Farmers Daily, World Agriculture, China Press and Publishing Journal, China Scholars Abroad, Economics Daily, China Central TV and the Dazhong Daily. Eight information and communications staff from CAAS also attended the workshop.

The workshop program offered 2 days of classroom training, including presentations by CGIAR scientists from ILRI, IRRI, and IPGRI, a media conference with high-level Chinese government officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, CAAS, the Chinese Academy of Forestry Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Fisheries Sciences, and a field trip. Field trip participants traveled to Jinan, Shandong Province to visit a national partner, the Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences (SAAS). Field work was also observed near Zoucheng. At SAAS, scientists at the institute spoke about their work on wheat and potato diseases and cropping systems in partnership with CIMMYT and CIP. CIMMYT scientist Zhonghu He briefed the group on germplasm exchange, wheat shuttle breeding between Mexico and China and the advantages of the bed planting system. CIP scientist Yi Wang explained the economic impact of the virus free sweetpotato in Shandong and the usage of the Elisa kits for virus detection. A tour of the facilities and the laboratories gave the journalists the opportunity to ask questions on these particular crops and the work conducted at the institute. In Zoucheng, the participants were able to see wheat fields and interact with a wheat farmer. Wheat is the second most important crop in China, with steamed bread and noodles being the major products consumed in China. The farmer, who has been actively working with SAAS and CIMMYT, converted his wheat fields two years ago and adopted the CIMMYT bed planting technology.

CGIAR delegation and Chinese goverment officials field questions from Chinese journalists.

Chinese journalists on field trip in Shandong Province.

Meet Farmer Xu Wenjia Xu Wenjia, 43 years old, lives near Zoucheng, in Shandong Province. He has been a farmer for 18 years, is married and has two children. He manages approximately 1 hectare of land (15 mu). In 1998, in partnership with SAAS, he converted his fields using the CIMMYT bed planting technology where he now cultivates wheat and another crop of his choice. Last year he chose spinach. Alternating rows of wheat with another cash crop has raised his income, and has permitted savings on water usage as well as on chemical and pesticide usage. Although he does not own the land, he is able to retain the profits from his harvests. His wheat production has gone from 400 kilos per mu to over 500 kilos in the same area and last year he earned 400 Yuan per mu for the spinach alone. His life has changed for the better, and he can now send his two children to school. (1 mu is equivalent to 0.0667 hectare)

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Related Links:

• Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences-(CAAS)
• China and CIMMYT
• China and the CGIAR