Sci-tech cooperation helps the Global South build its own capacity
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Science, technology and innovation drive development, yet the gap between those with the knowledge and those who merely consume it remains wide. In January 2024, the United Nations General Assembly designated September 16 as the International Day of Science, Technology and Innovation for the South, underscoring a shift in how developing countries approach this divide.
The emphasis is not simply on technology transfer, but on building the capacity of Global South nations to generate, adapt and sustain their own scientific solutions.
China's engagement in South-South sci-tech cooperation reflects this evolving approach. Two agricultural technologies illustrate how cooperation can move from providing ready-made solutions to cultivating local expertise: Juncao, a grass-based mushroom cultivation technology, and hybrid rice.
In Fiji, the China-Fiji Juncao Technology Demonstration Center, established in 2014, has trained more than 2,900 local technicians, promoted Juncao cultivation on over 2,500 hectares and helped more than 3,500 households achieve sustained income growth.
Fijian mushroom farmers pose with freshly harvested mushrooms. /MOFCOM
The technology originated in China as a substrate for cultivating edible mushrooms, using wild grasses instead of timber. In Fiji, its use has expanded beyond mushroom production. On severely saline coastal land, planting Juncao for four months reduced soil salt content from 1.67% to 0.4%, restoring degraded agricultural land.
For individual farmers, the economics are straightforward. Beyond food production, Juncao has addressed a persistent food constraint on Fiji's livestock sector.
In Madagascar, hybrid rice cooperation has likewise moved beyond the distribution of seeds. Since 2007, Chinese institutions have worked with Malagasy partners to establish demonstration bases and adapt hybrid rice varieties to local conditions. Annual hybrid rice cultivation in Madagascar has reached nearly 90,000 hectares, with yields exceeding conventional varieties by more than 20%.
In demonstration areas, yields reach 7.5 tonnes per hectare, roughly 2.5 times that of local varieties, and more than 500 local technicians have been trained.
Rice farmers work in a paddy field in Antananarivo, Madagascar, February 26, 2025. /VCG
The China-Madagascar Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Hybrid Rice, approved for construction in 2024, represents a more structured form of cooperation. The lab's stated objective is to help Madagascar establish an independent research system for hybrid rice through instrument donations, personnel exchanges, and joint research and development.
Malagasy Prime Minister Mamitiana Rajaonarison visited the Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center on Monday to inspect the joint laboratory's progress. During the visit, the two sides signed an agreement to establish a joint rice testing laboratory. Rajaonarison said the lab plays an important role in addressing Madagascar's food security challenges.
