ZHEJIANG ACADEMY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES

Their core work

Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences is a Chinese provincial research center focused on crop breeding, food safety, and agricultural genomics. Within H2020, they contribute expertise in legume and vegetable breeding programs and in EU-China food safety collaboration, particularly around hazard identification in infant food and food fraud prevention. Their role bridges Chinese agricultural research capacity with European consortia, providing access to Chinese genetic resources, field trial sites, and regulatory knowledge on food safety standards.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 work (2017-2018) centered on plant breeding and genomics — molecular breeding, phenotyping, genotyping, and genetic resource management for crops like legumes and vegetables. From 2020 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward food safety, specifically hazard identification in infant food, chemical contaminant control, and decision-support systems for food safety management. This evolution shows a move from upstream agricultural production research toward downstream food chain safety and consumer protection.

Moving from plant genetics toward applied food safety, especially in EU-China regulatory cooperation on sensitive products like infant food — a direction likely to expand as bilateral food trade grows.

How they like to work

Always a participant, never a coordinator — they join large European-led consortia as the Chinese research partner. With 108 unique partners across 22 countries from just 4 projects, they operate in very large consortia (averaging 27+ partners per project). This profile suggests they are a go-to Chinese institutional partner for EU projects needing a credible agricultural research presence in China.

Despite only 4 projects, they have collaborated with 108 distinct partners across 22 countries, reflecting participation in large multi-national consortia. Their network is heavily European but with a specific China-bridge function that makes them a connector between the two research ecosystems.

What sets them apart

As a Chinese provincial academy participating in H2020, they offer something most European partners cannot: direct access to Chinese agricultural field conditions, genetic resources, and food safety regulatory knowledge. For any consortium needing a credible Chinese research partner in food and agriculture, they are a proven choice with a track record across both crop science and food safety. Their dual expertise in breeding and food safety makes them particularly valuable for farm-to-fork projects spanning the entire food chain.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SAFFI
  Addresses the sensitive and high-impact topic of infant food safety across EU and China, combining chemical hazard control with decision-support systems.
• EUCLEG
  Large-scale legume breeding program aiming to reduce EU and China's protein import dependency — directly tied to food sovereignty and climate adaptation.
• EU-China-Safe
  Ambitious 5-year EU-China food safety partnership tackling food fraud, authenticity, and trade barriers — a politically significant collaboration area.