A seminar themed South-South Cooperation Dialogue: E-commerce for Rural Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation was held from Dec. 15 to 16, 2022. The event was co-hosted by the World Food Programme (WFP) Center of Excellence for Rural Development and AliResearch. Aiming to promote experience sharing and mutual learning about e-commerce among developing countries, the seminar served as a platform for young e-commerce entrepreneurs to exchange ideas.  

Dr. Qu Sixi, WFP China Representative, presided over the opening ceremony. During the event, he pointed out that e-commerce has boosted agricultural development and given rise to socio-economic transformation in China's rural areas. Rural young people have helped enhance the agricultural value chain by starting businesses, especially e-commerce businesses. He hoped the event can provide a platform for young entrepreneurs to further exchange ideas and share good practices. 

Dr. Xu Ming, Deputy Director-General of the Center of International Cooperation Service of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, stressed in his remarks that agricultural e-commerce is an important driver of agricultural digitalization. It can propel agricultural restructuring, increase farmers’ income, and nurture skilled agricultural professionals, thus playing a positive role in promoting rural revitalization in an all-round way and moving faster to build up China’s strength in agriculture.  

Stanlake Samkange, Senior Director of the Strategic Partnerships Division at WFP, said in his opening speech that young people have found new career development paths by starting e-commerce businesses and have played an important role in rural transformation. The rise of e-commerce businesses also demonstrates that digital technologies are being widely applied in rural areas of China.  

At the opening ceremony, the WFP Center of Excellence for Rural Development, together with AliResearch, released the report E-commerce Promotes Rural Vitalization in Western China. Based on field research in Gansu and Shaanxi provinces, the report systematically analyzes typical cases regarding rural e-commerce development, showcases remarkable fruits of e-commerce in rural revitalization in western China, and offers experience for other developing countries.