From November 2 to November 6, 2025, the "International Training Program on Edible Fingi Cultivation Technology and Sustainable Agriculture" was successfully held in Gutian County, Ningde City, Fujian Province. This training program was hosted by the Finance Center for South-South Cooperation (FCSSC), and the Promotion Center for Edible Fungi Cultivation, Fujian Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. It is co-hosted by Committee for Liaison with Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and Overseas Chinese and Foreign Affairs of CPPCC Ningde Municipal Committe, and organized by Edible Fungi Industry Development Center of Gutian County Governemnt. It also gained significant support from Chongho Bridge and the Association of Edible Fungi in Gutian.
At the opening ceremony on November 2, representatives from the host organizations attended and delivered speeches. Wu Zhong, Director-General of FCSSC, provided the opening remarks, while Liu Qianqian, Deputy Director-General of FCSSC, hosted the ceremony.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Wu emphasized that FCSSC serves as a comprehensive international platform dedicated to sharing knowledge and experience, fostering production capacity cooperation, and providing financial services for developing countries. This year marks the second year of this training program, and FCSSC continues to focus on offering opportunities for experience sharing and capacity building in sustainable agriculture for participants from developing countries. After the opening ceremony, the entire class went together to visit the China Edible Fungi Industry Exhibition Hall, followed by an ice-breaking activity at the International Training Center for Edible Fungi Cultivation.
Centered on "Edible Fungi Cultivation Technology and Its Applications in Developing Countries", this year’s program aims to enhance the capabilities of developing countries and facilitate the formulation of policies and solutions related to sustainable agriculture. Tihs will be achieved through sharing knowledge and experience on edible fungi cultivation technology and its application. Additionally, there is a special emphasis on female groups to explore their roles and contributions in the value chain of sustainable agriculture. FCSSC seeks to empower developing countries to identify adaptation and mitigation measures in agriculture to enhance their respond to climate change. Through this training, it intends to promote the realization of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The training included lectures, field visits, country presentation and more. There were 22 participants from 16 countries in the Global South, which is an increase of contains 9 more countries compared to the number of last year. Most of participants were from national agricultural departments, research institutions, and universities. The instructors included Zheng Ping, Deputy Director of the Edible Fungi Industry Development Center of Gutian County; Sun Shujing, Vice Dean of the College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University (FAFU); Director of Fungi Industry Research Institute, FAFU (Gutian); Gui Heng, Associate Professor at the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Bao Dapeng, Professor at the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences; and Lin Shaoling, Professor at the College of Food Science, FAFU. Through both in-class learning and discussions, participants gained a deeper understanding of edible fungi cultivation technology and its extensive applications in China, as well as its potential to empower social and economic development.
In addition to the lectures, all participants conducted field visits and research at several edible fungi production enterprises, as well as research, cultivation, and sales units in the county. They gained detailed insights into the technologies and processes involved at each stage of edible fungi production, developing a concrete understanding of the entire industry chain.
The "International Training Program on Edible Fingi Cultivation Technology and Sustainable Agriculture" serves as a key project for the Finance Center for South-South Cooperation in building and expanding partnerships in the field of sustainable agriculture. It is expected to be held annually in Gutian County, Fujian province, with the goal of establishing a long-term exchange mechanism to continuously promote experience sharing and practical cooperation in edible fungi technology and industry among developing countries and regions globally.
