Not only has China ensured the food security of its 1.4 billion people, but it has also helped achieve "food freedom" on the other side of the globe, namely Africa.
Once barren and yielding no crops, the African continent now witnesses bountiful harvests every summer and autumn.
In the golden fields, if no one points it out, you might mistake them for farmland in northeastern China.
However, the symbol of hope — rice seedlings — also bear heavy grains on the African soil.
Take Botswana in southern Africa as an example. It's a relatively unknown small country, covering an area of less than 600,000 square kilometers with a population of just over 2 million.
But in the last two years, it has become the focus of global attention.
Because two years ago, Chinese experts arrived here to help local farmers grow rice, revitalizing the land that had been abandoned for thousands of years.
Every June, with the simple dances and emotional songs of the African people, Chinese rice experts and locals harvest rice together, with smiles that can't be hidden on everyone's faces.
How did Chinese rice make its way to this small African country?
Africa has long faced poverty issues. Although the United Nations has been making efforts to provide aid to African countries every year, merely providing goods cannot fundamentally solve the food security problem.
China chose a different path, as the ancient Chinese saying goes: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." Only by helping African people grow their own food can they achieve self-sufficiency and truly fill their stomachs.
Thus, in 2007, the Chinese government initiated a rice cultivation cooperation project with African countries, with Madagascar being the first African country to receive assistance.
In 2007, China sent more than 20 agricultural experts directly to Madagascar. Their goal was clear: to help Madagascar achieve rice self-sufficiency.
The first pilot project was the village of Andasambarulo, which already had experience in rice cultivation. Therefore, the expert team believed that, combined with China's rice cultivation technology, it shouldn't be difficult to successfully grow rice in Africa, building a good foundation for the project.
However, things didn't go as smoothly as they had hoped.
Facing the challenges of outdated infrastructure and local misconceptions, rice cultivation encountered numerous difficulties.
Firstly, there was no running water supply here, and electricity was unstable, sometimes available and sometimes not.
Furthermore, being close to the ocean, Madagascar had abundant rainfall, but there were no drainage ditches in the fields, causing rainwater to accumulate, which could lead to rice seedlings rotting.
Facing natural difficulties was only one aspect, as there was also significant resistance from the local people.
The farmers here were accustomed to simple and extensive planting methods, relying entirely on nature.
They were skeptical of the advanced technology brought by the expert team, believing they were overcomplicating things.
The experts decided to start with small-scale experiments, collaborating with local farmers to try out Chinese rice cultivation techniques in trial fields.
After five years of screening, they finally identified three rice varieties suitable for the local climate, soil, and water quality.
Next, the expert team provided technical training to local farmers, including sowing, transplanting, pest and disease control, and field management.
They taught the farmers how to scientifically manage rice fields to ensure the smooth growth of rice.
After diligent efforts, the Chinese expert team finally succeeded in growing abundant rice in Madagascar, with yields exceeding local levels.
This also brought fame to Chinese rice, followed by wider promotion and cultivation.
In addition to Madagascar, more and more African countries are inviting Chinese agricultural expert teams to help grow rice and achieve food self-sufficiency, such as Burundi and Kenya, where Chinese experts have provided rice seeds and planting techniques suitable for local conditions, achieving significant results.
China has not only protected natural resources in its aid to Africa but has also helped African people out of poverty, realizing the principle of "teaching them how to fish."
Despite facing numerous difficulties during the cooperation, Chinese experts have never retreated.
Every small progress means an improvement in the living standards of local people.
We believe that as time goes on, the friendship between China and African countries will become stronger, looking forward to more cooperation to help African people live better lives. That day shouldn't be too far away.
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