AFBI expert helps EU identify research needs

Date published: 01 April 2015

Dr Ziping Wu, a Principal Agricultural Economist in the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), was an invited keynote speaker at a recent EU experts’ workshop in Brussels.

The aim of the workshop entitled ‘Food safety of agri-food products in the context of research and innovation co-operation between the EU and China’, was to define the theme of a proposed major EU-China agricultural research project.   

The EU wishes to enhance EU-China co-operation in food safety and a key concern highlighted at the event was the need to promote trade relationships between EU and China, through reducing technical barriers.  Dr Wu was able to share his extensive knowledge of China’s agri-food sector, food safety management and trade issues which can inform the socio-economic component of the proposed research.

Scientific collaboration with China is valuable for building relationships that can help develop trade links and it is recognised that China presents a major potential export market for Northern Ireland food products.  AFBI’s Agri-Food Economics Branch has considerable experience and expertise in socio-economic research relevant to the local industry and economy and international agriculture and the institute has scientific links with several research organisations in China.

The Brussels workshop marked the first step in developing a joint EU-China research project on food safety.  The project launch will follow a visit to Brussels by a delegation led by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) with which AFBI has a collaboration agreement. The research is likely to focus on the meat and dairy sectors.