Vinod Ahuja, acting representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in China, along with FAO Project Officer Fu Rong, visited Huazhong Agricultural University's (HZAU) World Food Day exhibition on Oct 16.

Niu Zhizhou, an HZAU doctoral student who spent a year interning at the FAO/IAEA Joint Center, guided Ahuja and his team through the exhibition. Niu explained the student-created artworks, including pieces like "Grain Storage", "Rice Field", "Tractor", and "Fun Shadows of Stacks of Grain", which combined agricultural elements and artistic expression.

One of the artworks created by the students [Photo/news.hzau.edu.cn]

Tang Shangshu, a professor from the Agricultural History Research Center of the College of Plant Sciences & Technology, shared insights on the "Chinese Farming Culture Exhibition", while Yuan Shen, another HZAU professor, discussed the evolution of ancient farming tools, highlighting the diverse agricultural traditions and technologies from different regions.

Ahuja praised the event as a vibrant and meaningful celebration of the 44th World Food Day, expressing his delight at the students' direct involvement in crafting the exhibition pieces.

"This is what World Food Day is all about—everyone makes their own contribution," he said.

He also expressed his admiration for the students' passion for sustainable agriculture and the innovative use of art to express agricultural themes, saying it was inspiring to see art and science come together in such an impactful way.

A student explains the exhibition to Vinod Ahuja(R). [Photo/news.hzau.edu.cn]

Ahuja shared his perspective on the importance of integrating agricultural biotechnology research with real-world applications to promote sustainable agriculture. He stressed that as global challenges such as climate change grow more severely, scientific and technological innovation must play a central role in addressing these issues.

He emphasized that science should not operate in isolation but must collaborate across different sectors to drive global progress. While efficiency varies across regions and countries, the ultimate goal is to make agriculture simpler, more efficient and sustainable, which requires a collective effort.

Ahuja also discussed strategies for engaging young people in sustainable agricultural development, highlighting the need to create more opportunities for them to explore the field. He believes that once young people are given the chance to participate directly, they will be inspired to contribute meaningfully.

As the acting FAO representative in China, he sees his role as creating opportunities for youth, fostering a deep commitment to sustainable agriculture, and sharing China's valuable experiences with the global community to help shape the future of agriculture.

Organized by the College of Plant Sciences & Technology, the exhibition was themed "Food Security in a Prosperous Land", highlighting the critical link between agriculture and global wellbeing.