High-Level Meeting on Juncao Technology

– As delivered –

Statement by H.E. Mrs. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President of the 73^rd Session of the UN General Assembly

18 April 2019

Your Excellency, Mr Ma Zhaoxu, Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations,

Your Excellency, Mr Zheng Jianmin, Deputy Governor of Fujian Province, People’s Republic of China,

Your Excellency, Ms Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, Chef de Cabinet to the UN Secretary-General,

Your Excellency, Mr Liu Zhenmin, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs

Mr Elliott Harris, Assistant-Secretary-General and Chief Economist, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs,

Professor Lin Zhanxi, inventor of the Juncao technology and our Keynote Speaker today,

Honourable Ministers,

Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am honoured to speak at the opening of this High-Level Meeting on Juncao technology – at the invitation of the People’s Republic of China and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

It is also a great pleasure to meet the inventor of the technology, Professor Lin Zhanxi. We at the United Nations see you as an example of academic excellence, and a real game-changer on the ground. You have helped to improve the lives of people across the world, from Lesotho to Lao PDR and beyond. Having heard so much about Juncao, I am excited to hear from you directly. I also look forward to hearing from the pilot countries represented here today – your perspectives are crucial to ensuring that others, and the world, can make maximum use of this technology.

Dear friends,

I am pleased to learn that the Juncao technology is emblematic of the China’s Belt and Road Initiative. It supports the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – making an important contribution to several SDG goals and targets: from poverty eradication to clean energy, gender equality to preserving biodiversity.

By supporting mushroom cultivation, this technology is boosting food security, as well as the transition to a green economy, through environmentally-friendly technology, more sustainable agriculture and green jobs. This is particularly important in Small Island Developing States, where Juncao is improving resilience to climate change. It is also helping to fight land degradation, for example, by producing cattle feed and minimizing soil erosion.

Crucially, the technology is making a difference where it matters most: at the local and community level, to the lives of farmers, women, children and persons with disabilities – those most at risk of being left behind. It is not called “magic grass” for nothing!

Excellencies,

My challenge to this session of the General Assembly has been: how can we make the UN relevant to people? This is how we do it – by delivering tangible improvements to their everyday lives. I commend China for giving us this example of “multilateralism in action” .

The success of the Juncao technology is also an example of why we need to invest in science and technology – and in education. As we emerge from intensive discussions at the UN on the future of work, I hope this will be one of our key take-aways. And here again, I commend China’s support through the UN Peace and Development Trust Fund.

And, finally, the Juncao technology underscores the essential role of south-south cooperation – something I am deeply committed to as President of the General Assembly.

Dear friends,

This meeting is an important opportunity to discuss synergies with the 2030 Agenda. Through Juncao technology, China has a great story to tell – a story now shared with over 100 countries who have benefited from this innovation. The spark lit in Fujian Province has shown the potential of a single innovation – if nurtured and deployed wisely – to change lives and improve livelihoods across the world.

Let this example inspire other such initiatives that facilitate our efforts towards a secure, inclusive and more sustainable world.

Thank you.