UK and China cooperation plays a vital role in global food system and agricultural transition in the post-Covid era, a new report finds.
A research report on UK-China Cooperation in Agricultural Research and Cooperation, jointly prepared and published by Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) and University of Nottingham recently, highlights the achievements, good practices, and barriers against bilateral cooperation over the last 10 years.
This project, funded by the British Embassy Beijing and the UKRI China Office, with co-funding from both CAAS and University of Nottingham, has provided opportunities for researchers from the two countries to share their experiences, opinions and suggestions for bilateral research and innovation cooperation towards green transformation and sustainability of our agri-food system.
The report detailed that the UK-China Joint Research and Innovation Partnership Fund and other funding sources have sponsored more than 1,000 related projects in the past, resulting in a foundation for mutual trust and partnerships at both institutional and individual levels. For future cooperation, there is a space for industrial players and social scientists to enhance social impact of bilateral projects.
Nonetheless, new funding mechanisms are also needed to broaden funding channels, including industrial funding sources to promote bilateral trade and economic growth, and trilateral or multilateral mechanisms - with other countries - to address global challenges and opportunities in the post-Covid era.
Dr Bin Wu, Senior Research Fellow in the Haydn Green Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, PI of the project, said: "I am pleased to complete and publish this report which brought together over 100 respondents from the UK and China who express strong interests to develop and deepen bilateral cooperation.
"Hopefully, research findings and policy recommendations could be helpful for relevant funding agencies, senior managers and researchers to think and plan bilateral programmes or projects."
The University of Nottingham team, led by Dr Bin Wu, managed the methodological advice of the whole project, and information collection and summary of the UK perspectives on priorities, mechanisms and best practices for bilateral cooperation in agricultural research and innovation.
The project in the UK side was jointly designed and delivered with Food System Institute (FSI), Consortium of Future Rural Studies (CFRS), University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC), N8 AgriFood Group and James Hutton Institute.
