Cooperatives and Rural Development in China: Issues and Prospects

China-Canada Seminar on Agricultural Legislation and Technical Cooperation
June, 2005 Bejing – Kunming – Hohhot

A seminar held in Beijing from June 9-10, 2005 by the Parliamentary Centre in conjunction with the Agriculture Committee of the National People’s Congress featured leading experts from China and Canada to exchange experience and lessons learned in developing legislative and policy tools to promote rural development. The objectives of the seminar in Beijing were:

• To provide an overview of the Canadian agriculture and agri-food systems with linkages to the governmental organization and legislation for agriculture and agri-food in Canada,
• To provide an analysis of the evolution of the legislation on farmers’ co-operatives in Canada and its application, and
• To describe the strategies and legislation of Canada to support the development of rural areas.

The two day seminar was followed by a technical mission of the Canadian experts to the province of Yunnan and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Roundtables with local agricultural specialists and site visits to some examples of cooperatives and rural development initiatives at the local level were arranged to facilitate further discussion along the three themes of the seminar.

For a complete account of the mission including the seminar and the technical mission, please refer to the full text of our Trip Report. Below is the conference agenda.  Additional conference materials in PDF, including presentation slides and publications of selected speakers, are available below. 

DAY ONE

Welcome and Opening Remarks

• Liu Mingzu, Chair of the Special Committee on Agriculture and Rural Affairs, National People’s Congress

Panel I - Overview of Farm Economy and Agricultural Legislation in China and Canada

• Presentation: Development of the Agriculture and Agri-food Economy in Canada (English & Chinese)

Dr. Douglas Hedley, Former Assistant Deputy Minister, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada

• Presentation: Government Structure and Legislation in Agriculture (English & Chinese)

Dr. Douglas Hedley, Former Assistant Deputy Minister, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada

Publications:

“Origins of Canadian Agricultural Support and Stabilization Policy” (English & Chinese)

“How policy decisions are made in Canadian Agriculture?” (English & Chinese)

Panel II: Cooperatives and Legislative Impacts

• Presentation: Current Status and Improvement of the Legislation on Farmers’ Economic Cooperatives in China (Full remarks in Chinese)

Mr. Liu Zhenwei, Member of the NPC Committee on Agriculture and Rural Affairs

• Joint Presentation: The Evolution of Farmers’ Cooperatives in Canada and Legislative Impacts

Dr. James Lowe, Former Senior Advisor on Cooperatives, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada (presentation available in English and Chinese)

Publications:

“Challenges and Opportunities for Canadian Co-operatives in the New Millennium” (English & Chinese)

Mr. Anders Bruun, Senior Lawyer on Agricultural Legislation

DAY TWO

Panel III - Policy Measures and Legislation to Support the Rural Development and Poverty Reduction

• Presentation: Current Policies of China to Support Poverty-stricken Rural Areas

Mr. Liu Fuhe, Director General, Policy and Regulation Branch, Poverty-Reduction Office, State Council of China

• Presentation: Women and Poverty Reduction in China

Ms. Liu Qinghua, Director, Women Development Branch, All China Women’s Federation

• Joint Presentation I : Policy Measures and Legislation to Support Rural Development (English and Chinese )

Dr. Douglas Hedley, Former Assistant Deputy Minister, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada

Dr. James Lowe, Former Senior Advisor, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada