On Nov.17-18, The International Conference on Nanotechnology Applications and Implications of Agrochemicals toward Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems was held in Beijing. The conference is hosted by CAAS, organized by the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture (IEDA), CAAS and co-organized by USDA national institute of food and agriculture (NIFA) and Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (American Chemical Society). Prof. Chen Mengshan, Secretary of the Leading Party Group, CAAS, Prof. Norman Scott, Member of National Academy of Engineering and Professor Emeritus of Cornell University, and representatives from the government and research institutes attended the opening ceremony. The opening ceremony was hosted by Prof. Zhang Yanqing, Director General of IEDA, CAAS.


Prof. Chen Mengshan pointed out in his welcoming address that as the only national-level agricultural research institute in China, CAAS has been mandated to explore the agricultural science frontier while faithfully devoting to the development of viable solutions to development of agricultural industry in China. Nanotechnology for applications in food and agriculture is an emerging and prioritized research theme for CAAS, with notable progress in improving the efficiency of fertilizers, pesticides and other agrochemicals, and reducing their residues and negative impacts on environment. Chen hopes the conference will establish a platform for exchanging the latest development and sharing the new ideas and trends in nanotechnology for applications in food and agriculture.

The frontier discoveries in nanoscale technology have revealed many promises for applications in food and agriculture. Active research programs have been launched to pursue nanotechnology-enabled technologies and products for agriculture and food systems throughout the world since early 2000 in USA. In China, nonotechnology in agriculture has developed rapidly, especially in the application of nanomaterial and technology to improve the efficiency and safety of agricultural inputs.

The focus of this international conference is to exchange the latest knowledge and development in nanotechnology applications and implications of agrochemicals towards sustainable agriculture and food system. More than 300 representatives from 10 countries and regions attended the conference; 26 world renowned experts and 43 domestic scientists made oral presentations. Successful convening of this conference gave rise to a broad recognition of the significant impact of nanotechnology and contributed to the development of nanotechnology in agriculture to address the shortage of agricultural resources, food safety and environmental sustainability.