The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) and the Royal Danish Embassy in Beijing held a side event for the World Food Summit 2021 on 12 April at CAAS Beijing headquarter.

Themed by “How can science work as a mediator for cultural change – lessons from Denmark and China on food loss and food waste”, the event was opened by HE Ambassador Thomas Østrup Møller and Prof. Sun Tan, Vice President of CAAS. Mr. Carlos Watson, FAO Representative to the People’s Republic of China, delivered key messages from the Food and Agriculture Organization. Speakers from China and Denmark as well as the World Food Programme were also invited to talk about how research findings, know-hows and experiences from Denmark and China may act as a catalyst for less food loss and waste, higher resource efficiency, greater awareness among consumers, and bring about cultural changes.

Prof. Sun Tan also held a bilateral meeting with HE Ambassador Møller, in which the two sides reached consensus on developing comprehensive and profound cooperation in key areas such as utilization of agricultural wastes, food loss and waste reduction, food processing and nutrition, and interacting more closely with the industry.

Bilateral ties between CAAS and its Danish partners have been largely strengthened since 2016, with major progresses made in academic exchanges, collaborative researches, and international talent training. So far 50 young scientists from CAAS have participated in short-term training courses funded by the DFC program of Denmark.

Most recent examples of strong links between CAAS and its Danish partners including the successful launching of the Agriculture & Food Community under the Denmark-China Alumni Association, are expected to serve as a platform of exchanges and cooperation for young scientists and researchers of the two sides. The three-year Strategic Sector Cooperation project on “Resource Efficiency, Food Loss and Waste” implemented by the Institute of Food and Nutrition Development (IFND) of CAAS and the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA) also commenced last month.

By Zhou Ximai (zhouximai@caas.cn)