Strengthening the agricultural cooperation between China and Latin America (global hotspot)

Brazilian President Lula will pay a state visit to China from May 10th to 14th. During the visit, the Fourth Ministerial Conference of the China Latin America Forum was held in Beijing on May 13th. Various sectors in Pakistan look forward to Lula's visit to China, which will jointly promote the development of China Latin America relations into a new stage.
China is the second largest trading partner in Latin America. Over the years, bilateral trade between China and Latin America has maintained high-speed growth. Among them, agricultural product trade plays an important role in China Latin America trade. Recently, China has further strengthened cooperation with Latin American countries such as Brazil in the field of agricultural trade, and the bond between China and Latin America in agricultural cooperation has become even tighter.

In response to this, our reporter interviewed Zhou Zhiwei, Director of the International Relations Department at the Institute of Latin American Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Executive Director of the Brazil Research Center, and Hu Bingbing, Director of the Agricultural Trade and Policy Research Department at the Institute of Rural Development of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, to interpret the prospects for agricultural cooperation between China and Latin America reflected by the booming trade in agricultural products.

Latin American high-quality agricultural products enrich Chinese dining tables

【 Observation 】

Recently, the foreign cargo ship "Guanghui" loaded with nearly 70000 tons of Brazilian soybeans slowly docked at the transfer operation area in Laotangshan, Zhoushan Port, Ningbo. It is reported that April and May are the peak import seasons for Brazilian soybeans. With the changes in the international situation and trade environment, China's procurement of Brazilian soybeans has significantly increased. According to the berthing plan for the transfer operation area in Laotangshan, Zhoushan Port, Ningbo, Brazil's soybean loading and unloading volume reached 700000 tons in April, a year-on-year increase of over 30%.

Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao reported that China has continued to promote the diversification of agricultural product imports in recent years, and Brazil has replaced the United States as China's largest soybean supplier.

In addition to Brazilian soybeans, Argentine beef, Ecuadorian white shrimp, Chilean cherries, Peruvian blueberries, Honduran coffee... More and more high-quality Latin American agricultural products are constantly enriching the dining tables of Chinese people.

At present, China has established bilateral agricultural cooperation mechanisms with 19 member states of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, including Argentina, Venezuela, Uruguay, etc. They have not only set up working groups on soybeans, pesticides, fisheries, etc., but also formed a ministerial provincial linkage platform to meet demand and build consensus.

[Interpretation]

Hu Bingbing: In recent years, agricultural cooperation between China and Latin America has developed rapidly. This is partly due to the upgrading of food consumption driven by China's economic and social development, which has greatly increased the demand for agricultural products. On the other hand, it is due to the global increase in agricultural production, and the abundant agricultural resources of Latin American countries have unleashed enormous production capacity.

According to data released by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, from 2000 to 2023, the trade volume between China and Latin America has increased from $14 billion to over $480 billion, and the trade in goods between the two sides has grown 35 times. Among them, the trade volume of agricultural products between China and Latin America will reach 81.03 billion US dollars in 2023, accounting for nearly 1/4 of China's total agricultural product trade, doubling from 2014. Considering the high complementarity between China and Latin America in agriculture, as well as the important role of agricultural trade in the economic and trade relations between China and Latin America, agricultural trade can be regarded as a "stabilizer" for China Latin America trade and even bilateral cooperation.

For China, agricultural cooperation between China and Latin America has made the sources of agricultural product imports more diverse and the supply chain more resilient; For Latin American countries, the opening up of China's agricultural product market has enabled the full utilization of their agricultural resources.

Zhou Zhiwei: In recent years, agricultural cooperation between China and Latin America has become closer, and bilateral agricultural trade has shown three trends:

Firstly, the scale of trade continues to expand. For example, Brazil's soybean exports to China have increased significantly. In addition, trade categories have extended from traditional bulk commodities to high value-added products.

The second is the accelerated promotion of infrastructure interconnectivity. For example, Brazil stated that they have recently discussed a major infrastructure plan for the integration of Brazil and South America, which includes the "Two Ocean Railway" project connecting South American countries and the port of Chancay in Peru. The optimization of infrastructure and logistics networks will reduce logistics costs, improve trade efficiency, and assist in the trade of agricultural products between China and Latin America.

Thirdly, there is closer communication between China and Latin American countries on agricultural policies. Faced with the United States' excessive imposition of tariffs disrupting the global trade order, Latin American countries have further recognized the necessity and importance of exploring the Chinese market, and are optimistic about the opportunities to strengthen agricultural trade with China.

China Latin America agricultural technology cooperation becomes a new highlight

【 Observation 】

The Brazilian website "Real Brazil" recently reported that mechanization of small and medium-sized farmland is one of the major challenges facing Brazilian agriculture today. With the support of China, Brazil is seeking an innovative solution: using Chinese technology to produce machinery suitable for local rural conditions in Brazil. By establishing a production chain, rebuild the industrial foundation for Brazilian agriculture.

In addition to agricultural product trade, agricultural technology cooperation has gradually become a new highlight of China Latin America agricultural cooperation. In recent years, China has established agricultural technology joint laboratories, research centers, and demonstration farms with countries such as Argentina, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, and Peru to promote technological innovation and transfer. The China Latin America Agricultural Technology Exchange Mission has carried out hundreds of agricultural training projects, imparting China's advanced agricultural technology to Latin American countries, helping to improve local agricultural technology levels and increase farmers' income.

According to a global agricultural commerce website, many Latin American countries have benefited greatly from cooperation with China in standardized agricultural planting, seed research and development, improved warehousing and logistics networks, advanced port facilities, and management systems.

[Interpretation]

Zhou Zhiwei: The agricultural technology cooperation between China and Latin America not only helps to enhance the agricultural production capacity of Latin American countries, but also promotes the sustainable development of China Latin America agricultural cooperation. At present, Latin American countries are generally facing the arduous task of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in agricultural production processes, and need to make efforts in soil improvement, sustainable land use, and reducing deforestation.

The cooperation between China and Latin America in the field of agricultural technology takes into account the two goals of agricultural production growth and sustainability in Latin American countries, mainly involving the following aspects: first, soil improvement, helping major agricultural countries in Latin America achieve rational and sustainable land use; The second is to increase agricultural production. Institutions such as the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences have established agricultural technology joint laboratories with multiple Latin American countries to share experiences and technologies in seed cultivation, crop production, and other areas, promoting sustainable agricultural production in Latin American countries; Thirdly, agricultural product processing is a major concern for many Latin American countries, which is to increase the added value of exported agricultural products, thereby driving local employment and income growth, and enhancing the international competitiveness of agricultural products.

Hu Bingbing: The cooperation between China and Latin American countries in the field of agricultural science and technology is of great significance. Firstly, China's advanced agricultural technologies, such as crop protection drones and the application of Beidou navigation system in precision agriculture, are not only suitable for the agricultural production environment and large-scale operation needs of Latin American countries, but also can help them improve their own agricultural science and technology development level; Secondly, China's strong agricultural machinery and equipment manufacturing capabilities, such as high-powered tractors, combined with the abundant agricultural resources of Latin American countries, contribute to the construction of a new agricultural industry chain cooperation model; Thirdly, China and Latin America have broad cooperation space in green agriculture and ecological protection, and China's experience can help Latin American countries achieve sustainable agricultural development.

Currently, Latin American countries such as Brazil have shown strong interest in agricultural technology cooperation with China. Technological innovation is an important driving force for the progress of agriculture and rural areas. In the future, China and Latin America will further strengthen cooperation and research in the fields of germplasm resources, prevention and control of animal and plant diseases, digital agriculture, and response to climate change, and jointly enhance the level of scientific and technological innovation and agricultural development. This will not only benefit the well-being of the Chinese and Latin American people, but also have a positive impact on global agricultural production.

Injecting stability into the global agricultural market

【 Observation 】

From agricultural product trade, to agricultural technology exchange, and to promoting advanced technologies to the world, China Latin America agricultural cooperation provides ideas for solving global food security issues.

For example, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, headquartered in Mexico, has the world's richest maize germplasm resources. For many years, China and Mexico have carried out technical cooperation and promotion in multiple agricultural fields based on carriers such as the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, providing a model of cooperation to address the global food crisis.

In November 2024, the China Latin America Sustainable Food Innovation Forum and the launch meeting of the China Latin America Sustainable Food Innovation Center will be held in Yazhou Bay, Sanya, Hainan. At the meeting, representatives from China, Chile, Cuba, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina and other countries unanimously agreed that China and Latin America have enormous potential for cooperation in food security and sustainable agricultural development. The establishment of the China Latin America Sustainable Food Innovation Center will inject new impetus into deepening agricultural technology cooperation, improving agricultural production efficiency, and ensuring global food security between the two sides.

[Interpretation]

Zhou Zhiwei: China Latin America agricultural cooperation not only brings tangible benefits to both sides, but also effectively enhances the resilience of the global agricultural product industry chain and supply chain, helping to maintain global food security and sustainable development. Establishing a stable cooperative relationship between China, as a major global consumer of agricultural products, and Latin America, as a major producer of agricultural products worldwide, can inject more certainty into the global agricultural market.

In the future, in addition to maintaining cooperation in traditional advantageous categories such as soybeans, beef, and pork, China Latin America agricultural product trade also has potential for cooperation in more categories: firstly, aquatic products. The aquatic products in Latin America have high production and good quality. In recent years, high-quality aquatic products from Latin American countries such as South American white shrimp from Peru, salmon from Chile, and red shrimp from Argentina have gradually entered the Chinese market, and the trade of aquatic products between China and Latin America has become increasingly close; The second is characteristic tropical fruits. The success of Chilean cherries in the Chinese market indicates a huge demand from Chinese consumers for a diverse range of tropical fruits. In the future, relying on the sea freight logistics hub of Qiankai Port in Peru and the increasingly improved logistics system, more characteristic tropical fruits such as Brazilian berries from the Amazon region and Latin American countries will be more convenient to enter the Chinese market.

Hu Bingbing: Over the years, China Latin America agricultural cooperation has been driven by agricultural product trade, significantly increasing the agricultural output of relevant Latin American countries. Thanks to the growth of demand in the Chinese market, the agricultural production capacity of Latin American countries has been effectively released, directly or indirectly improving global agricultural production efficiency.

Currently, China and Latin America have a high degree of dependence in the field of agricultural trade. China is the largest export destination for many Latin American countries' agricultural products, and many Latin American countries are the largest source of imports for specific agricultural products from China. In the future, agricultural trade will continue to be the mainstay of China Latin America agricultural cooperation and will have more comprehensive development on the existing basis. High value agricultural products will become a new growth point for agricultural trade between China and Latin America. In addition, with the continuous expansion of bulk agricultural product trade volume, the overall efficiency of China Latin America agricultural product trade will continue to improve, and China Latin America agricultural technology cooperation will develop in depth.

(Reporter Yan Yu from this newspaper)

People's Daily Overseas Edition (10th edition, May 13, 2025)