The first international academic symposium of sustainable agriculture in subtropical regions, sponsored by Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Society of Ecology, was held from November 23-25 in 2005 at Zidongge Huatian Hotel, Changsha city, Hunan province, P. R. China. About 200 representatives from research organizations, including Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Rothamsted Experimental Station and countries including England, Canada, New Zealand, Egypt, Japan, India and Thailand, attended the symposium and more than 200 papers from home and abroad were received.

The cultivated areas in subtropical region account for quarter worldwide. About half of the national foodstuff and 60% of the live pigs were produced in the subtropical region in our country. With the requirement of the population growth and economy development, the available land resources become increasingly intense, adding the partial extensive management measures, the unreasonable utilization of agricultural chemicals and global warming, it urgently strengthen land conservation and sustainable utilization, promote the agricultural sustainable development. The representatives discussed and exchanged in four themes in the symposium, including crop production and food safety, soil nutrients and water management, integration of crop and animals and ecological agriculture and environment.

The symposium provided a nice communication platform for researchers, management experts and policymakers from global subtropical agriculture and related domains. According to the suggestions of the representatives, the host decided to hold the symposium one time every four years in the future.