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Release Date: October 11, 2025 Source: Department of Science and Technology On October 10, the kick-off meeting for the China-EU Agricultural Flagship Project, a key special project under the National Key R&D Program for intergovernmental S&T innovation cooperation, was successfully held in Xiamen. The meeting was hosted by the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and undertaken by the Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences (hereinafter referred to as “the Institute”). Aiming to implement the guiding principles of President Xi Jinping on China-EU cooperation and taking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU as an opportunity, the event seeks to further deepen S&T innovation cooperation between China and Europe. More than 120 participants attended, including relevant leaders from S&T authorities and the Xiamen Municipal People’s Government, leaders of the project lead unit, consulting experts, and project members from both Chinese and EU sides. Opening Ceremony Highlights At the opening ceremony, Mr. Dai Gang, Director of the Department of International Cooperation at MOST, emphasized that 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of China-EU diplomatic relations. He noted that the past 50 years have yielded fruitful exchanges and cooperation, with S&T collaboration being an indispensable and vital component of China-EU relations. Mr. Dai highlighted that research into new sustainable business and production models for farmers and rural areas is a key focus of China-EU agricultural cooperation. This research is significant for promoting mutual learning between China’s Rural Revitalization Strategy and the EU Green Deal, assisting in the localized and differentiated implementation of policies in both regions, and laying a solid foundation for China and the EU to jointly address common challenges and reach broader consensus. Mr. Dai expressed high hopes for the agricultural flagship project, urging the participating units from both sides to advance its implementation to “flagship” standards and strive to make it a model of China-EU cooperation. Mr. Henri Delecour, Director-General of the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Commission, delivered a speech sharing his insights on ecological agriculture cooperation between Europe and China. He emphasized that China and the EU initiated agricultural technology cooperation as early as 2013, and now their cooperation is moving towards the field of sustainable agricultural development. Both sides play a crucial role in promoting food security, increasing agricultural output, and enhancing farmers’ capabilities. He believes that this project collaboration will not only spawn new industries and create new knowledge but also attract scientific and technological personnel from more countries to participate. He also looks forward to deeper cooperation between China and the EU to jointly embark on a bright future for agriculture and the food sector. Ms. Chen Qian, Vice Minister of the Fujian Provincial Department of Science and Technology, pointed out that the project’s “technology-production-business-assessment-policy” full-chain research highly aligns with Fujian’s strategy of deep integration of scientific, technological, and industrial innovation. She expressed the hope that the project team will conduct in-depth research on successful cases of green development in Fujian’s mountainous villages and jointly strive to be a forerunner of high-quality development. Mr. Zhuang Rongliang, Member of the Standing Committee of the Xiamen Municipal Committee and Vice Mayor of the Xiamen Municipal People’s Government, stated that Xiamen is an important incubation ground and pioneering practice site for Xi Jinping’s ecological civilization thought. The China-EU Agricultural Flagship Project will not only strongly promote the green transformation of agriculture and the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside but also further enrich the “Xiamen Practice of Ecological Civilization” and enhance Xiamen’s international influence in global ecological environment governance. Mr. He Hong, Director of the Institute, representing the project’s lead unit, stated that the Institute will fully leverage the advantages of the Ministry of Science and Technology’s International S&T Cooperation Base, fulfill the responsibilities of the lead unit, coordinate efficient collaboration among all participants, strictly control project quality and progress, and ensure the project is advanced to high standards and completed with high quality. Ms. Zhuang Jia, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation at MOST, introduced the situation of China-EU S&T cooperation. She expressed the expectation that, adhering to the principles of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit, openness, and inclusiveness, both sides will jointly write a new chapter of China-EU S&T cooperation with more pragmatic actions and make new and greater contributions to the sustainable development of humanity. At the launch event, leaders and guests including Mr. Dai Gang, Academician He Hong, Vice Minister Chen Qian, and Vice Mayor Zhuang Rongliang, along with the project leaders from China and the EU, jointly pressed the launch button, marking the official launch of the China-EU Agricultural Flagship Project. Dr. Xu Yaoyang (China Project Leader) from the Institute and Professor Philipp Grundmann (EU Project Leader) from the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy signed a deepening cooperation agreement. This agreement aims to promote the construction of a coordinated innovation network for China-EU research cases and facilitate the exchange of experience between China’s Rural Revitalization Strategy and the EU Green Deal. To ensure the smooth implementation of the project, a聘任 (appointment) ceremony for consulting experts was also held. The project has established a multidisciplinary expert group of 13 members, with Academician Zhu Yongguan (Director of the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences) serving as the group leader and Professor Qian Wenrong from Zhejiang University serving as the deputy group leader. The group comprises renowned experts in agriculture, environment, economics, and policy, who will provide full-cycle, all-round guidance for the project. The opening ceremony was presided over by Mr. Wang Da, Director of the Xiamen Municipal Science and Technology Bureau. As the project lead unit, the Institute will take this kick-off meeting as a starting point to coordinate cross-disciplinary and transnational cooperation, promote the output of high-level results, contribute to China-EU cooperation in sustainable agricultural development, and set a benchmark for organizational management in China-EU scientific and technological cooperation. Under the framework of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the EU, both sides will use scientific and technological innovation as a cooperative

Release Date: October 11, 2025 Source: Department of Science and Technology From October 10th to 11th, the Academic Seminar on the China-EU Agricultural Flagship Project “New Sustainable Business and Production Models for Farmers and Rural Areas” was successfully held in Xiamen. This meeting not only established a platform for in-depth exchange among experts and scholars in agriculture from China and Europe but also marked the official launch of the key special project under the National Key R&D Program for Intergovernmental International S&T Innovation Cooperation—”New Sustainable Business and Production Models for Farmers and Rural Areas.” This initiative injects new momentum into promoting urban-rural integration and facilitating the green transformation of agriculture. Opening Ceremony and Keynote Reports The conference invited five renowned Chinese and foreign experts to deliver keynote speeches, setting the stage for the seminar. These five experts shared cutting-edge perspectives from their respective research fields, providing significant inspiration for the project’s research direction. Expert Consultation and Project Launch To ensure the scientific and efficient advancement of the project, the lead unit, the Institute of Urban Environment, meticulously formed a multidisciplinary consulting expert group consisting of 13 authoritative experts after fully soliciting opinions from all participating units. These experts, renowned scholars in agriculture, environment, economics, and policy, will provide professional guidance and technical support for the project’s implementation throughout the entire cycle. At the expert consultation meeting, the project leaders and heads of various topics reported the implementation plan in detail, covering the background, significance, objectives, assessment indicators, research content, task settings, cooperation plans, technical routes, annual plans, and safeguard measures. Academician Zhu Yongguan, the group leader, emphasized in his review and guidance that the project should strengthen the interdisciplinary research paradigm, further refine scientific issues from practical needs and problems, and promote urban-rural prosperity through collaborative innovation with industries. He urged the team to use this major project as a link to strengthen teamwork, serve the exchange and cooperation between China and the EU, and drive more projects. The on-site consultation meeting was chaired by Professor Qian Wenrong, the deputy group leader. Youth Seminar and Thematic Discussions The seminar featured a special Youth Seminar, where young scholars from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo University, Zhejiang Gongshang University, and other institutions gathered to exchange ideas on the theme of sustainable agricultural development. Focusing on the two core directions of “Agriculture and Environmental Basic Sciences” and “Rural Governance and Green Development,” young scholars not only shared the latest research results on “Paddy Soil Organic Carbon Cycle” and “New Rural Collective Economy” but also conducted in-depth discussions on cutting-edge topics such as agricultural insurance policies, urban-rural soil ecological evolution, farmland ecosystem security, rural environmental governance, and the environmental effects of green agricultural technologies. This session fully demonstrated the characteristics of interdisciplinary integration and showcased the innovation vitality and potential of young research teams in the field of sustainable agricultural development, reserving young talent for the project’s long-term advancement. On the afternoon of October 11th, the Seminar on Business and Production Models was convened. Experts and scholars from cooperating institutions on both sides, including the European Green Innovation Organization, the European Association for Leadership in Rural Development, the Center for Sustainable Consumption and Production Cooperation (Germany), the West Macedonia Bioeconomy and Environmental Industry Incubation Park, Ningbo University, East China University of Political Science and Law, Yangzhou University, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, engaged in heated discussions on key issues. These included soil biodiversity, agricultural climate resilience, agricultural sustainable transition, business model innovation, agricultural greenhouse gas emission reduction, rural governance and collective economic development, stakeholder win-win cooperation, and agricultural industrial park construction. These discussions clarified the key directions for subsequent project cooperation. Project Significance and Outlook The successful convening of the China-EU Agricultural Flagship Project Academic Seminar not only laid a solid foundation for the launch of the “New Sustainable Business and Production Models for Farmers and Rural Areas” project but also established a long-term platform for S&T exchange and cooperation between China and Europe in agriculture. In the future, the project team will take this seminar as an opportunity to deepen cross-disciplinary and transnational cooperation, promote the innovation and practice of sustainable agricultural business and production models, and contribute more wisdom and strength to助力 rural revitalization and promote the green and sustainable development of global agriculture. The China-EU Agricultural Flagship Project “New Sustainable Business and Production Models for Farmers and Rural Areas” is jointly led by the Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (Germany). It brings together the strength of over thirty top scientific research institutions and universities from China and the EU. The core goal of the project is to build a collaborative innovation network covering business and production models for the sustainable development of farmers and rural areas. Through cross-national and interdisciplinary cooperation, the project aims to solve key problems in agricultural sustainable development and provide a “China-EU Solution” for the green transformation of global agriculture. Source URL:中国-欧盟农业旗舰项目“农民和农村新的可持续商业和生产模式”学术研讨会在厦门顺利召开–城市环境研究所