After graduating from university in 2017, Nyambo Obed from Rwanda found a new path in agriculture thanks to Chinese farming technology. Initially unemployed, Obed took a training course featuring Juncao technology, organized by the China-United Nations Peace and Development Trust Fund.
In just five years, Obed transformed into a successful farmer, employing dozens and producing a variety of products, including food, animal feed, and fertilizer. “Juncao technology has not only transformed my life but also made me a community leader, helping others escape poverty. I now support the livelihoods of dozens of families,” Obed shared with Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the UN, during a visit to his farm in Rwanda.
Juncao technology, developed in the 1980s by Lin Zhanxi from China’s Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, uses chopped grass as a substrate for growing edible and medicinal mushrooms. This innovation has benefited over 100 countries, including Rwanda, according to Xinhua News Agency.
“My mushroom business has created jobs for over 20 people in my community, helping them lift themselves out of poverty,” Obed told The New Times, a Rwandan news agency.
Recently, Fu, along with senior UN officials and Lin, visited farms using Juncao technology in Rwanda and Tanzania. Fu highlighted that the technology symbolizes China’s successful poverty reduction practices and supports sustainable development in the Global South.
Juncao technology, promoted in 107 countries, is part of the China-United Nations Peace and Development Trust Fund’s priority projects. Established in 2015, the fund has supported about 150 projects in the Global South. Fu emphasized the fund’s role in promoting sustainable development and maintaining international peace and security.
“China is ready to collaborate with the international community to help more developing countries achieve independent development,” Fu added.
