On December 7, Mr Carlos Watson, the FAO Representative to the People's Republic of China visited XAG headquarters during his trip to Guangzhou, China. Climate change and food safety were among the global issues discussed over the conversations, with the promotion of digital agriculture greatly emphasized for a more sustainable food system.

As the host to Mr Carlos Watson's visit, Justin Gong, Co-founder of XAG, introduced the development journey and research stories of XAG after eight-years deep dive in agriculture. Various applications and cases from Asia, Latin America, and Australia were displayed to Mr. Watson, showing how agricultural drones and robots have helped farmers bridge the digital divide.

Justin Gong, Co-founder of XAG introducing XAG smart agricultural products to Mr Carlos Watson

Both sides agreed that the scale-up of autonomous technologies in agriculture is connecting more and more farmers into the digital age. In China, due to the increasing coverage of digital farming infrastructure and the large-scale operation of precision equipment, the rural area has been facing unprecedented growth opportunities.  

Mr Carlos Watson extended a wide discussion with XAG about enterprise action to reduce food loss, connect smallholders to markets, and increase the resilience of farmers. According to the Country Programming Framework (CPF) between FAO and Chinese government, digital farming technology is the key to driving agricultural transformation and promoting sustainable countryside.

Mr. Watson discussing FAO's future project in China with Justin Gong

Carlos Watson proposed that it will be vital to establish partnerships with companies capable of delivering innovation. "Our future blueprint is tech-oriented, so we are glad to see companies like XAG which are rebuilding public perceptions toward agriculture and reshaping the future of farming," he said.

China is hopefully to become the future hub for cultivating smart agricultural talents with global visions. Through a complete education and training system, young people would be well equipped with innovation skills and eventually bring back new concepts and technologies to their local communities.

Justin Gong explaining the technology of XAG R150 Farm Robot to Mr. Watson