CHINA AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY

Their core work

China Agricultural University (CAU) is one of China's top agricultural research universities, bringing deep expertise in livestock nutrition, crop science, soil management, and food safety to EU-China collaborative research. Within H2020, CAU serves as the Chinese research anchor in projects that require bilateral EU-China work on shared agricultural challenges — from feed efficiency in livestock to soil degradation and food safety governance. Their contributions typically center on providing Chinese field data, experimental validation, and access to Chinese agricultural systems that European consortia cannot reach independently.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

CAU's early H2020 involvement (2015-2017) centered on animal production systems — feed efficiency, by-product utilization, and livestock nutrition — alongside a broad EU-China science policy project (DRAGON-STAR Plus). From 2018 onward, the focus shifted decisively toward food system integrity and environmental sustainability: food safety governance, soil health platforms, pest biosecurity, and digital food technologies. This evolution mirrors the broader EU-China research agenda moving from production optimization toward food system resilience and environmental protection.

CAU is moving toward integrated food system sustainability — combining soil science, food safety, and digital monitoring — making them a strong partner for future EU-China agri-food resilience projects.

How they like to work

CAU participates exclusively as a partner, never as coordinator — consistent with its role as a non-EU institution bringing Chinese research capacity into European-led consortia. With 214 unique partners across 32 countries in just 10 projects, they operate in large, diverse consortia (averaging 20+ partners per project). This makes them a well-connected bridge organization rather than a repeat-partner type, experienced at working within complex multi-national teams.

CAU has collaborated with 214 distinct partners across 32 countries through 10 H2020 projects, giving them an exceptionally broad European network relative to their project count. Their network spans the major EU agricultural research institutions, with a natural focus on countries active in EU-China bilateral research.

What sets them apart

CAU is one of the most active Chinese agricultural universities in H2020, serving as the go-to Chinese partner for EU projects needing credible agricultural research capacity in China. They offer what European institutions cannot: direct access to Chinese farming systems, food supply chains, regulatory environments, and field-scale data. For any consortium building an EU-China agri-food project, CAU brings both scientific credibility and institutional infrastructure on the Chinese side.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EU-China-Safe
  Directly addressed the EU-China food safety partnership — a politically significant bilateral topic combining food fraud detection, trade barrier analysis, and joint laboratory training.
• Feed-a-Gene
  A five-year, multi-species livestock project covering genetics, feeding techniques, and sustainability — one of CAU's longest and most comprehensive H2020 engagements.
• TUdi
  Their most recent project (2021-2025), focused on transforming unsustainable soil management across EU and China with practical farm planning tools — signals CAU's current strategic direction.