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China Association of Agricultural Science Societies

Established in 1917, the China Association of Agricultural Science Societies (CAASS, ), or Chinese Society of Agriculture is the oldest agricultural science and technology organization in China, serving as both a witness to and a proponent of the advancement of modern agricultural science and technology in the country.

This is a national academic organization co-directed by the Ministry of Agriculture and the China Association for Science and Technology, primarily tasked with advancing agricultural science and technology and fostering economic growth in agriculture and rural regions.

History

Establishment

In January 1917, the pioneering Chinese agronomists who returned to China after studying overseas, including Wang Shunchen (), Chen Rong (), and Guo tanxian (), established the Chinese Agricultural Society. In June 1917, the Jiangsu Province Education Association had its first conference in Shanghai, at which Zhang Jian () was chosen as honorary president and Chen Rong as president. From 1918 until 1947, the Chinese Agricultural Society had 26 annual meetings and published the "Chinese Agricultural Society Newspaper" in 1918.

Merge and Rebuild

In January 1950, the East China Financial Committee (), along with the China Agricultural Science Research Society (), the New China Agricultural Society (), and several agricultural groups, organized the inaugural East China Agricultural Exhibition. In November, Beijing established the preparatory committee for the restoration of the agricultural society, which aimed to form the China Agricultural Society by incorporating members from the China Agricultural Science Research Society (Shanghai), Yan'an Agricultural Society, and other affiliated organizations. In April 1951, the Chinese Agricultural Society was rebranded as the China Association of Agricultural Science Societies with the endorsement of the Ministry of the Interior.

In October 1959, the organizations of animal husbandry and veterinary medicine, soil, agricultural machinery, plant diseases, insects, horticulture, and the agricultural water conservancy segment of the Water Conservancy Society were consolidated into the CAASS. In April 1978, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, along with the Chinese Association for Science and Technology, submitted the Report of the Petition to the State Council on Strengthening the Organization and Establishment of the CAASS, which received approval from the State Council. The State Council and central leadership authorized and designated the CAASS as a public organization.

In July 1978, the third national congress of the CAASS convened in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, where Yang Xiantong () was re-elected as chairman of the board of directors for a third term. Subsequent to the summit, Yang guided 800 attendees to Dazhai; nevertheless, the agricultural conditions in Dazhai were profoundly unsatisfactory to all present agricultural specialists. Upon returning to Beijing, Yang established an agricultural meeting and articulated his aim to address the issue of the erroneous "Learn from Dazhai in agriculture", which garnered support from economists such Chen Hansheng. In the spring of 1979, Yang convened a speech at the 5th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference to deny "Learn from Dazhai in agriculture", which emerged as a significant event of that year's conference. Subsequently, in September 1980, Vice Premier of China Chen Yonggui resigned, marking the conclusion of the "Learn from Dazhai in agriculture" debacle.

On December 12, 2017, a retrospective ceremony commemorating the centenary of the CAASS was conducted in Beijing. Wang Yang, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and Vice Premier of the State Council, participated in the retrospective event and made a speech. Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, dispatched a letter to commemorate the centenary of the CAASS, extending heartfelt greetings to all members of the Society and to the vast community of agricultural science and technology professionals.

Leadership

First Session (March 1956)

Second session (February 1960)

Third (July 1978)

Fourth (May 1983)

Fifth (June 1987)

Sixth (April 1992) 　

Seventh (January 1997)

Eighth (May 2002)

Ninth (June 2007)

Tenth (December 2012)

Eleventh (December 2017)

References