In a small town in Iowa, USA, young Dr. Kenneth M. Quinn never imagined that he would embark on a journey that would change the world. This young man from a small town began his brilliant 32-year diplomatic career through a diplomat selection exam, becoming an important bridge between China and the United States. He went on to serve as the President of the World Food Prize Foundation for 20 years, making outstanding contributions to global food security. This month, we invite him, who has also served as Co-Chair of the Advisory Committee for the World AgriFood Innovation Conference (WAFI) from 2022 to 2025, to share his story with China and WAFI.

In 1979, Dr. Quinn first stepped onto Chinese soil as part of a U.S. Governor’s delegation visiting China. He clearly remembers how he felt: "I was deeply honored to meet Deng Xiaoping, who shared with us his vision for China’s reform and opening up. I then had the opportunity to travel around the country visiting Shanghai, Guangdong, and Guilin. Everything felt so new." That year marked the beginning of China’s monumental reforms, and Dr. Quinn was fortunate to witness history firsthand. At the opening of the WAFI2024 conference, he said, “Forty years later, I feel the tremendous changes in China under reform and opening up. I sincerely congratulate China on its great achievements, especially increasing food production and lifting 750 million people out of poverty.”

The following year, 1980, Dr. Quinn hosted a Chinese governor delegation in Iowa, including Xi Zhongxun, the father of President Xi Jinping and then governor of Guangdong Province. They visited many agricultural bases and discussed the possibilities for China-U.S. agricultural cooperation. Dr. Quinn recalled: "After that year, I had more and more opportunities to interact with China." Since then, Dr. Quinn has worked tirelessly to foster China-U.S. relations, especially in agricultural collaboration.

In 2004, Dr. Quinn, as President of the World Food Prize Foundation, welcomed Professor Yuan Longping to Iowa to receive the World Food Prize, celebrating his groundbreaking research on hybrid rice. Dr. Quinn served for over a decade as Vice Chairman of Professor Yuan Longping's International Rice Development Forum. In 2012, Dr. Quinn welcomed President Xi Jinping at the opening of the U.S.-China Agricultural Forum and witnessed the signing of a China-U.S. Memorandum of Agricultural Cooperation. After stepping down now as President Emeritus, Dr. Quinn has continued advocating for agricultural development and China-U.S. relations. In 2023, he met President Xi again in San Francisco and, that same year was awarded the Yuan Longping Agricultural Science and Technology Award. He expressed emotionally, “This is one of the greatest honors of my life. I’ve always believed that only through global collaboration can we plant seeds of change that truly matter.”

Since 2023, Dr. Quinn has continuously served as Co-Chair of the WAFI Advisory Committee. He has deeply engaged with the conference, contributing significantly to the success of each WAFI Event. At the closing ceremony of WAFI2023, he enthusiastically advocated, “This should become an annual event! It’s not just a conference; it’s a core hub connecting global agricultural scientists, educators, agri-business leaders, and youth.” He emphasized that, in a world facing rising natural and social uncertainties, agriculture must adapt to unprecedented challenges, and WAFI offers essential platforms for international collaboration. Last year, in WAFI2024, Dr. Quinn once again spoke at the closing ceremony, quoting Yuan Longping’s famous words, "A single seed can change the world," and affirmed, “an innovation can also change the world,” passionately calling on the younger generation to engage in agrifood innovation.

Dr. Quinn remains full of passion when discussing China-U.S. agricultural cooperation. During the WAFI Dialogue in 2023, he emphasized that agricultural cooperation not only holds the key to addressing pressing food security but also serves as a critical pathway for maintaining and restoring the U.S.-China relationship. Against the backdrop of a complex global landscape, joint efforts in the agricultural sector between the two nations can inject new vitality into the bilateral relationship, steering it back onto a constructive trajectory and enabling the two powers to tackle global challenges together.

To achieve this, it is essential to foster closer dialogue and collaboration among universities, research institutions, and individuals in the agricultural field. Innovation must be a cornerstone of these efforts, with governments and research institutions taking the lead in establishing new frameworks that prioritize and encourage innovation across all sectors of society. At the same time, businesses can align their market strategies with societal needs, driving the practical application of innovative solutions. Only through such coordinated, collective efforts can innovation become a shared practice benefiting the entire society, rather than a privilege reserved for a select few.

During his leadership of the World Food Prize Foundation, Dr. Quinn actively promoted youth exchanges between China and the U.S., welcoming over 100 high school age students from the Shijiazhuang Foreign Language School to Iowa, and sending the same number of American students for internships at leading Chinese research institutions including China Agricultural University.

These multilateral efforts rooted in agricultural cooperation can not only address shared challenges but also drive meaningful progress, strengthening mutual trust and collaboration between the two agricultural powerhouses. Ultimately, they pave the way for the improvement of U.S.-China relations and the sustainable development of global agriculture. This year marks the 40th anniversary of his visit to Iowa with Xi Jinping, an important milestone for China-U.S. agricultural relations. Dr. Quinn’s journey with WAFI enters a new chapter as well.

In a recent WAFI2025 interview, Dr. Quinn expressed his keen expectations for the upcoming conference. He pointed out that with the intensification of climate fluctuations, pandemics, and geopolitical conflicts, building resilient food supply systems will become particularly important. As an international cooperation platform, WAFI is using its unique influence to bring the issue of global food security into the international spotlight. He firmly believes in the core philosophy of " Peace Through Agriculture "—agriculture is not only the foundation of survival but should also serve as a bridge for dissolving conflicts. This belief will guide WAFI’s mission for global agricultural progress.

Dr. Quinn’s life journey is a testament to his unwavering dedication to agricultural diplomacy. As WAFI2025 draws near, he hopes his story will inspire everyone working toward agrifood innovation. This is not only his wish but also WAFI’s mission.Let us look forward to WAFI2025 and witness another breakthrough in China-U.S. agricultural innovation. Like Dr. Quinn, let us believe in the mighty power of agriculture and the transformative strength of innovation, sowing seeds of hope for global food security and peace.