From the 18th to the 20th of this month (December), the Council of Agriculture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center of the Academia Sinica, and the College of Bioresources and Agriculture at National Taiwan University, in cooperation with the Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI), held the “International Seminar on Conservation and Prospecting of Bioresources in Asia-Pacific Region” in Taipei. Nearly 200 representatives of industries, government, and academia from Taiwan and overseas attended. Officials and experts from participating countries exchanged in-depth views on how to ensure the beneficial application of agricultural biotechnology as well as ensure sustainable use of bioresources, and to upgrade agricultural productivity, the quantity and quality of products, and the well-being of farmers and consumers.

　　The COA states that Taiwan joined APAARI since 1999 and as a member of the Executive Committee for 2017-2018, also the vice-chairmanship of APAARI’s “Asia-Pacific Consortium on Agricultural Biotechnology, devotes to share the results of agricultural research in Taiwan and to build channels for exchanges with international agricultural research institutions. Taiwan and APAARI held this Seminar in Taiwan in order to deepen exchanges among APAARI member countries in the field of agricultural and bioresources research. Countries from around the world (especially Asian and New Southbound Policy partner countries) such as Canada, Russia, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, India, Sri Lanka, Iran, Pakistan, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam dispatched officials, experts in agricultural biotechnology, and young scholars to Taiwan to attend. Besides discussing relevant issues, attendees at the Seminar also visited organizations that included the COA’s Tea Research and Extension Station and Agricultural Technology Research Institute.

　　The COA emphasizes that this Seminar held in Taiwan enables countries in Asia to better understand the development of agricultural biotechnology and sustainable use of resources, as well as relevant research results. Moreover, it also demonstrates Taiwan’s stance of actively participating in APAARI and other international agricultural organizations, thereby raising Taiwan’s international profile.