China and the EU: Evaluating Two Tech-Ahead Plans for the Way forward for Meals Manufacturing

The EU and China have every launched new strategic plans for the way forward for their respective agri-food industries in current weeks.

In each circumstances, particulars are nonetheless skinny on the bottom. Notably, nonetheless, they share some widespread themes.

Each plans seem to emphasise the problem of meals safety, whereas environmental sustainability is seemingly acknowledged as being of crucial, albeit secondary, significance. Equally, each plans underline the potential function to be performed by modern cleantech options.

From left to proper: Charles Michel (former President of the European Council), Xi Jinping (President of China), Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Fee)

Supply: European Union

EU Agri-Meals Imaginative and prescient: Safety Trumps Sustainability?

The European Fee’s “Imaginative and prescient for Agriculture and Meals: Shaping collectively a gorgeous farming and agri-food sector for future generations” units out the EU government’s broad aims for the area’s meals ecosystem.

Whereas it shouldn’t explicitly be seen as a alternative for the 2020 “Farm to Fork Technique”, the Agri-food Imaginative and prescient does appear to depart considerably from a lot of the previous’s strategy.

Launched late final month, across the similar time because the Clear Industrial Deal and never lengthy after the Draghi report on European competitiveness, the Agri-food Imaginative and prescient adopts the same tone to each of these initiatives.

It goals to “acknowledge agriculture and meals as strategic sectors” and “strengthen [their] competitiveness and attractiveness” whereas making certain “long-term progress, innovation, and societal advantages” resulting in “a resilient, modern, and sustainable sector.”

This isn’t antithetical to the Farm to Fork Technique’s need “for a good, wholesome, and environmentally-friendly meals system,” however does characterize a modulation.

Of specific curiosity to cleantech innovators and traders is that the Imaginative and prescient seems to lean extra into technological options and interventions, the place the Farm to Fork Technique had given extra airtime to ideas akin to natural farming. It had additionally controversially referred to as for a 50% minimize in chemical pesticide utilization by 2030, a goal that was finally dropped within the face of farmer protests referring to the coverage and different points.

Under, I’ve outlined a number of the Imaginative and prescient’s most notable aims, together with my interpretation of what these could imply for cleantech innovation:

• Creating an “EU digital technique on agriculture.” Relying on its scope, this might have a large impression throughout a number of stakeholders, driving broader adoption and commercialization of applied sciences referring to precision farming, provide chain traceability, agri-commodities buying and selling, farm robotics, and extra.
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• Improvement of “a complete plan to deal with protein provide challenges.” This has relevance each for various protein innovators, in addition to companies and researchers working within the livestock trade.
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• “Presenting a bioeconomy technique.” This could contact on myriad elements of the agri-food worth chain, from organic crop inputs and plant genetics via to animal well being applied sciences, superior fermentation in meals manufacturing, waste stream valorization, and manufacturing of biofuels and biomaterials.
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• “Nature and carbon credit.” Advancing biodiversity and greenhouse fuel incentive schemes by constructing rigor and investor confidence may unlock new sources of revenue for farmers, which may in flip finance adoption of tech options.
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• “Proposing a water resilience technique.” Innovators engaged on water administration, wastewater remedy, and adjoining areas akin to crop inputs ought to keep watch over this.
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• “Accelerating entry to biopesticides.” Whereas not explicitly a response to the deserted Farm to Fork objective of halving pesticide use by 2030, this might obtain discount in agrochemical utilization by providing modern alternate options, quite than merely mandating member states to chop pesticides and doubtlessly threatening penalties.

All in all, the Imaginative and prescient offers a basic sense of motion away from the Farm to Fork Technique’s ardor for natural farming; banning and phasing out agrochemicals; and delegating to member states.

The renewed focus is on bloc-wide meals safety; productiveness and competitiveness of the area’s agri-food sectors; and higher administration of water and different pure assets.

That tonal shift is unsurprising given the adjustments which have taken place globally since 2020; together with the fragility of meals provide chains laid naked by the Covid-19 pandemic, and subsequent geopolitical shocks together with deglobalisation, tariffs, and struggle on the European continent and farther afield.

China’s 5-12 months Agri-Meals Tech Plan

Against this, China has at all times put nationwide meals safety entrance and middle of its strategic agri-food planning; partially as a result of drought and famine have been repeat themes all through the nation’s lengthy historical past.

Maybe on account of this, the Chinese language authorities has been extra specific in its willingness to advance and undertake cutting-edge agri-food applied sciences, together with these which are typically thought-about controversial elsewhere.

China has printed two paperwork in current weeks that time to its agri-food priorities within the coming years.

The nation’s Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Affairs launched its discover on “Nationwide Agricultural Science and Expertise Innovation Focus Areas” for the interval 2024 to 2028.

It’s placing how tech-forward the discover is. Highlights of specific curiosity from a cleantech perspective embody:

• “Cultivation of recent agricultural varieties.” Together with analysis on genetic mechanisms to breed “high-yield, stress-resistant crops,” growth of IP round seeds, enhancing breeding strategies utilizing “gene modifying and good breeding programs.”
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• “Enchancment of land high quality” and soil well being through “natural fertilizers and precision fertilization” and deployment of “speedy soil testing know-how.”
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• Selling R&D to enhance agricultural tools. Advancing “clever agricultural equipment” with AI-driven sensors and automation; enhancing precision planting, harvesting, and processing tools.
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• “Prevention and management of crop ailments and pests.” Implementing AI-based monitoring and early-warning programs; growing “bio-friendly pesticides, pheromone attractants, and RNA biopesticides.”
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• “Prevention and management of livestock, poultry, and aquatic animal ailments” by “advancing vaccine growth, illness monitoring, and AI-driven epidemiological research” and pursuing “sustainable livestock breeding.”
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• “Environment friendly planting and breeding” of crops and livestock via promotion of “built-in farming fashions, akin to rice-fish programs” and boosting “feed effectivity and sustainable livestock vitamin.”
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• “Inexperienced and low-carbon” agriculture. Lowering agricultural emissions, enhancing waste administration, and growing eco-friendly inputs, in addition to sequestering soil carbon and rolling out precision irrigation.
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• Driving enhancements in agri-food processing and manufacturing. Innovating in meals storage, transportation, and superior manufacturing. Analysis “new meals sources that combine microbiome, synthetic intelligence, large information, supplies science and Clever manufacturing and different cutting-edge applied sciences to create a brand new technology of meals that meets new situations and particular wants.”
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• Guaranteeing high quality and security of agri-food merchandise. Strengthening monitoring and traceability of meals security dangers, ascertaining the protection and dietary effectivity of different proteins, and growing useful meals tailor-made to particular well being wants.

The Central Committee of the Chinese language Communist Get together and the State Council of the Folks’s Republic additionally just lately printed their annual ‘No 1 Doc’. It’s the first main coverage proposal rolled out firstly of every 12 months, and is at all times centered on rural affairs.

Amongst different issues, this 12 months’s version requires “constructing a diversified meals provide system,” together with “enchancment… of the edible fungus trade” and “growth of algae-based meals”. It additionally mentions the necessity to develop “bio-agriculture” and “new meals assets”.

Our Take

It isn’t a shock to this analyst to see that China is seemingly embracing novel agri-food applied sciences in a lot bolder and a extra direct method than its EU counterpart.

However that’s as a result of it isn’t a brand new development, so far as China is worried. For a number of years now, its authorities has talked in regards to the significance of tech innovation within the meals and agriculture house. The query is whether or not these phrases have translated into motion and progress for the time being.

The extra apparent change is in Europe, the place the EU seems to be extra brazenly acknowledging the potential function of tech innovation in reaching its up to date objectives.

Each China’s plan and the EU’s could appear to deal with meals safety at first, with environmental safety relegated. However each these aims needn’t be mutually unique. Somewhat, by leveraging cleantech options accessible at the moment, extra productive and resource-efficient agriculture ought to result in higher ecological outcomes, too.

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Final Up to date on: 18th March 2025, 11:32 am

Enjoying King of the Mountain might be enjoyable when you’re 10 years previous, but it surely takes multiple particular person to play. The present administration in America desires to play King of the Mountain on the world stage, jamming its imaginative and prescient of American preëminence down the throats of the opposite 194 nations on the planet. Paul Krugman is an economist who’s a Nobel Laureate (2008). He was a columnist for the New York Occasions for a few years, however left to begin his personal Substack channel after the final election, distraught over the Occasions‘ resolution to roll over and play useless when it got here to opposing the authoritarian polices of the incoming president. I discovered his publish on March 17, 2025 entitled, Destroying America’s Model —  Dropping the world’s belief and some huge cash too, worthy of sharing with CleanTechnica readers. Listed here are the related components of that article.

Final week Mark Carney, having received the Liberal Social gathering’s management election, grew to become Canada’s Prime Minister. And it seems to be doable that he might maintain that place for some time. Not way back the Liberals appeared headed for an electoral wipeout, however they’ve seen an incredible surge within the polls. The key behind that surge is, in fact, Donald Trump, who has not solely imposed tariffs on Canada with none justification however retains doubling down on his fully insane demand that Canada grow to be the 51st state. Each time Trump or his minions repeat that demand, they strengthen Carney’s hand in opposition to Pierre Poilievre, the Bitcoin-loving, Trumpy-sounding Conservative chief.

Certainly one of Carney’s first coverage strikes as PM was to order a assessment of Canada’s plan to purchase a considerable variety of U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets. Which means that Canada is becoming a member of European nations which are equally reconsidering their dependence on U.S. weapons. This flip away from army dependence on the U.S. is comprehensible. America is not a dependable ally to the world’s democracies; certainly, between Trump’s flip towards Putin and his speak of annexing Canada and Greenland, we don’t seem like an ally in any respect. Rumors that U.S. jets have a “kill swap” that will enable Trump to disable them at will are in all probability false, however refined army gear requires quite a lot of technical help, so that you don’t need to purchase it from a rustic you don’t belief.

How a lot financial harm will America undergo as a result of it has grow to be a rogue nation? Changing into a nation that may’t be trusted to honor agreements or comply with the rule of regulation has to have financial in addition to political and diplomatic penalties. How huge are these financial penalties? [Based on the available data], US publicity to international revulsion seems to be fairly giant.

Begin with these army gross sales. US gross sales of protection gear to international governments have gone up so much since Russia invaded Ukraine. A lot of the rise has gone both to Ukraine or to European governments supporting Ukraine, however there may be additionally a common development towards rearmament as we study that the world is a extra harmful place than we realized. Pre-Trump that rearmament meant quite a lot of U.S. exports. In 2024 US army exports have been $318.7 billion — roughly 15 p.c of whole U.S. items exports. It was additionally nearly twice our agricultural exports. How a lot will these gross sales shrink now that international governments know that we will’t be trusted? Given a while to search out replacements, the doubtless reply is “so much.”

Navy {hardware} isn’t the one export more likely to undergo from our new rogue nation standing. Our commerce deficit in items is partly offset by a surplus in providers commerce, however a number of of our main service exports will certainly be harm by America’s flip to the darkish aspect. Certainly one of these is training. Many foreigners come to America to review, attracted by the standard of our schools and universities. In 2023, the latest 12 months for which information can be found, they spent greater than $50 billion. However should you have been a foreigner contemplating research within the US subsequent 12 months, wouldn’t you be nervous that you simply would possibly end up arrested and deported for expressing what the present administration considers anti-American views? I’d. So we will anticipate a success to larger training, which, though we hardly ever consider it this fashion, is a significant U.S. export.

Private journey — principally tourism — was even greater at greater than $100 billion. However you possibly can make sure that we’ll be seeing so much fewer Canadians this 12 months and subsequent, and it received’t simply be Canadians reconsidering their plans. Salon studies that “Quite a few vacationers from European international locations have been detained by ICE in current weeks when trying to enter the US, their deliberate holidays as an alternative turning into lengthy stretches in detention. Specialists say their arrests are an obvious escalation in enforcement motion as…..Trump’s immigration crackdown rages on.”

Simply to be clear, I’m far more nervous concerning the risk Trump poses to democracy than his unhealthy financial insurance policies. And even in purely financial phrases, self-inflicted harm from tariffs and deportations, plus express international retaliation, are in all probability extra vital than the prices imposed by international lack of belief. But these prices are actual. A technique to consider that is to say that Trump is doing to America what Elon Musk is doing to Tesla, destroying a useful model by way of erratic conduct and repulsive ideology. Did I point out that Tesla gross sales in Europe look like cratering?

True, there are variations between a non-public enterprise and a nation-state. I don’t assume folks visiting Tesla showrooms are topic to random arrest, or that Musk will kill your automotive should you say one thing he doesn’t like. However, Tesla relies upon much more on purchaser goodwill than the US as an entire does. Nonetheless, Trump’s perception that America holds all of the playing cards, that the remainder of the world wants entry to our markets however we don’t want them, is all unsuitable. We’re quickly dropping the world’s belief, and a part of the associated fee will likely be monetary.

Making America Irrelevant

From our perspective right here at CleanTechnica international headquarters, the cash is a secondary concern. In all of the years I’ve been privileged to write down for this publication, I’ve reported on dozens — possibly tons of — of analysis papers printed in scientific journals and I’ve all the time been struck by how most of the scientists writing these studies have Asian names. Most of the scientists doing important analysis right here in America are actually persona non grata, because of the insanely paranoid insurance policies that the US authorities has put in place.

This week, we realized of the wholesale cancellation of funding for researchers in dozens of fields, together with these learning modifications in Antarctica. A lot of them will take their abilities and specialised data to different international locations, making America the largest loser. BYD claims to have 150,000 engineers growing new applied sciences. Simply this week, it introduced a brand new Blade battery that with a ten C cost charge and a brand new electrical motor with 780 hp that may spin to over 30,000 RPM. Have you ever heard of comparable bulletins from Ford, GM, or Stellantis? If not, what does that recommend for American competitiveness sooner or later? What it suggests to me is that hiding behind tariffs partitions is assured to make America irrelevant. Whereas we spend time telling ourselves how fantastic we’re, the remainder of the world will transfer ahead into the longer term and leaving us to stew in our personal juices.

When my daughter was younger, we spent quite a lot of time watching Sesame Avenue collectively. In the present day’s leaders might imagine that present is a bunch of  “woke” nonsense, however possibly all of us may study one thing from its easy however refined messages — like this one.