"WAFI 2024 Conference Features Plantable Leaflets to Highlight Low-Carbon Concept"
Plantable leaflets highlight the low-carbon concept at the WAFI 2024 conference.
TroibNews 
Organizers of the 2024 World Agrifood Innovation Conference are actively promoting sustainability while advocating for a low-carbon transition in agrifood systems.
As part of this effort, the conference has introduced an innovative initiative featuring plantable leaflets made from renewable resources, embedded with seeds. Attendees are encouraged to soak these leaflets, plant them in soil, and nurture them until flowers bloom.
"It's a way to promote waste reuse and environmental protection," noted Xing Luting, a participant from the Shanghai Agricultural Sci-tech Service Center, who took ten leaflets back for her colleagues.
Historically, conference materials have a brief lifespan and are frequently discarded after a single use. However, this initiative has provided them a new purpose, according to Ravindra Dekate, a participant from India focused on waste reuse.
The conference’s green initiatives have garnered positive feedback from participants from various countries. Throughout the venue, attendees come across low-carbon tips, such as using reusable bottles, prioritizing public transport, and opting for digital documents.
Since its start on Friday, the conference has attracted approximately 800 experts from over 70 countries and regions, focusing on the low-carbon transition in agrifood systems through sci-tech innovation to combat climate change.
"We are committed to a green conference model," stated Fu Wenge, secretary-general of the conference’s advisory board and a professor at China Agricultural University.
China strongly advocates for green and sustainable development, as evidenced by its commitments to achieving carbon peaking by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. "To meet these goals, green practices should permeate all aspects of life and work, including conferences," Fu emphasized.
"Holding a conference with a green concept is a good opportunity to showcase how China, as a populous nation, demonstrates its low-carbon philosophy through practical actions," he added.
Sustainability is also a key component of the dining experience at WAFI 2024, which features a buffet offering a range of plant-based options. A significant portion of the meat alternatives is supplied by DeePro Technology, a Chinese food tech company. Their plant-protein meat substitutes replace 60 percent to 70 percent of traditional meat in catering, closely replicating the flavors and textures of meat in dishes such as sauced beef and luncheon meat.
James Sharp, a participant from the UK Department for Business and Trade, expressed his appreciation for this initiative. "It's really useful that the conference is providing that," he remarked, noting it serves as a powerful way to inspire changes among attendees.
Zhang Wei, founder of DeePro Technology, highlighted the multiple advantages of their plant-based protein, stating that their food products address food shortages while reducing the carbon footprint associated with animal agriculture.
Additionally, Fu noted that 90 percent of the food served at the conference is locally sourced, further minimizing the carbon footprint related to transportation.
A low-carbon-themed recreational running campaign was also held during the conference on Saturday, encouraging attendees to adopt sustainable lifestyles and commit to eco-friendly practices in their daily lives. "Our concept for the conference is to go green in every aspect," Fu stressed, underlining the importance of raising awareness about sustainability to achieve transformative change.
Initiated in 2023, the WAFI aims to establish a world-class platform for advancing global agrifood innovation. The conference is co-organized by the government of Pinggu District in Beijing, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China Agricultural University, and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
Alejandro Jose Martinez for TROIB News
As part of this effort, the conference has introduced an innovative initiative featuring plantable leaflets made from renewable resources, embedded with seeds. Attendees are encouraged to soak these leaflets, plant them in soil, and nurture them until flowers bloom.
"It's a way to promote waste reuse and environmental protection," noted Xing Luting, a participant from the Shanghai Agricultural Sci-tech Service Center, who took ten leaflets back for her colleagues.
Historically, conference materials have a brief lifespan and are frequently discarded after a single use. However, this initiative has provided them a new purpose, according to Ravindra Dekate, a participant from India focused on waste reuse.
The conference’s green initiatives have garnered positive feedback from participants from various countries. Throughout the venue, attendees come across low-carbon tips, such as using reusable bottles, prioritizing public transport, and opting for digital documents.
Since its start on Friday, the conference has attracted approximately 800 experts from over 70 countries and regions, focusing on the low-carbon transition in agrifood systems through sci-tech innovation to combat climate change.
"We are committed to a green conference model," stated Fu Wenge, secretary-general of the conference’s advisory board and a professor at China Agricultural University.
China strongly advocates for green and sustainable development, as evidenced by its commitments to achieving carbon peaking by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. "To meet these goals, green practices should permeate all aspects of life and work, including conferences," Fu emphasized.
"Holding a conference with a green concept is a good opportunity to showcase how China, as a populous nation, demonstrates its low-carbon philosophy through practical actions," he added.
Sustainability is also a key component of the dining experience at WAFI 2024, which features a buffet offering a range of plant-based options. A significant portion of the meat alternatives is supplied by DeePro Technology, a Chinese food tech company. Their plant-protein meat substitutes replace 60 percent to 70 percent of traditional meat in catering, closely replicating the flavors and textures of meat in dishes such as sauced beef and luncheon meat.
James Sharp, a participant from the UK Department for Business and Trade, expressed his appreciation for this initiative. "It's really useful that the conference is providing that," he remarked, noting it serves as a powerful way to inspire changes among attendees.
Zhang Wei, founder of DeePro Technology, highlighted the multiple advantages of their plant-based protein, stating that their food products address food shortages while reducing the carbon footprint associated with animal agriculture.
Additionally, Fu noted that 90 percent of the food served at the conference is locally sourced, further minimizing the carbon footprint related to transportation.
A low-carbon-themed recreational running campaign was also held during the conference on Saturday, encouraging attendees to adopt sustainable lifestyles and commit to eco-friendly practices in their daily lives. "Our concept for the conference is to go green in every aspect," Fu stressed, underlining the importance of raising awareness about sustainability to achieve transformative change.
Initiated in 2023, the WAFI aims to establish a world-class platform for advancing global agrifood innovation. The conference is co-organized by the government of Pinggu District in Beijing, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China Agricultural University, and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
Alejandro Jose Martinez for TROIB News
