SOFIA, June 25 (Xinhua) -- A China-Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) initiative on the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into agriculture was launched here on Wednesday.
The Sofia Initiative on Promoting Agricultural Science and Technology Education through AI was inaugurated at the 2025 annual meeting of the China-CEEC Modern Agricultural Science and Education Innovation Alliance.
Promoting AI-driven agricultural paradigms and academic disciplines, building AI and education practice platforms, supporting the AI-era competence of educators and students, enabling agricultural data sharing via AI, and strengthening international cooperation in AI and education are the five main fields of the initiative.
"Let us focus on three core goals -- technological empowerment, educational innovation, and resource sharing -- to promote AI applications in agriculture, build an 'AI + Agriculture' educational system, and make agricultural data, AI tools, and teaching resources more inclusive," the alliance said in a statement.
"By deeply integrating AI into agricultural education, we can jointly contribute to the future of global agriculture," said the alliance, which was established in 2024.
During the meeting on Wednesday, a China-CEEC Digital Agriculture Innovation Platform was also inaugurated, with the aim of integrating agricultural technology, industrial applications, and educational resources from China and CEEC, achieving complementary advantages, and driving the digitization of agricultural production, operation, and management.
Wang Min, charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Bulgaria, said at the event that scientific and educational innovation exchange served as a powerful engine and vital bridge for promoting agricultural cooperation.
"We hope to see ongoing progress in agricultural science and technology innovation, as well as in cultivating talent and deepening the integration of science, industry, and education, promoting collaborative development between academia and industry," said Wang, noting that in October 2024, Shandong Agricultural University initiated the establishment of the China-CEEC Modern Agricultural Science and Education Innovation Alliance.
"These efforts will help generate new outcomes in agricultural exchange and cooperation between China and CEEC countries," she said.
Lozana Vasileva, deputy minister of agriculture and food of Bulgaria, said the current global trends in agriculture and food called for sustainable development, smart agriculture, the introduction of modern technologies, continuous innovation, and the digitalization of agriculture. "In view of that, the establishment and operation of the China-CEEC Modern Agricultural Science and Education Innovation Alliance are very prompt and timely," she said.
Speaking about adopting the Sofia Initiative, she said that AI was really reshaping agricultural production, research and education.
Nabil Gangl, deputy regional representative for Europe and Central Asia of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), said in turn that FAO acknowledged the essential role of science, technology, and innovation in accelerating the transformation of agri-food systems and firmly believes they are crucial in the decisive battle against hunger and malnutrition.
According to him, the Alliance may directly contribute to enhanced agrifood systems knowledge and evidence and play a crucial role in strengthening science-policy interfaces, ensuring that research findings translate into effective policies.
This Alliance was ideally positioned to enhance knowledge valorisation and the exchange of information and experiences, alongside improving science communication. "These efforts will directly contribute to building national capacity to harness science, technology, and innovation," he said.
Leng Changjian, secretary-general of the alliance and president of Shandong Agricultural University, said the establishment and development of the alliance were active responses to the Belt and Road Initiative and a true portrayal of all member units contributing wisdom and strength to the China-CEEC cooperation mechanism.
"China and CEEC countries have comparative advantages and technological advantages in agricultural equipment, smart agriculture, agricultural biotechnology, sustainable agriculture, and other fields. In-depth cooperation in both directions can achieve technological complementarity and mutual benefit," he said.
(Source: Xinhua)