April 7-8th 2025: Innovation in high-value products from agri-food residues

Three images showing the processing of agri-food residues into high-value products

7-8th April 2025 | Hubei Hotel Beijing, China (online option also available)

Places are limited, book yours here: English language | Chinese language

Join us in Beijing, China on April 7th-8th 2025 for a groundbreaking event exploring the future of agricultural residues. Discover how cutting-edge science is transforming these materials into high-value bioproducts, proteins, and alternative materials for the agricultural and food sectors. Gather practical insights and get involved in our workshops, networking sessions and optional pre-event site visits (3rd-5th April).

The event and dinner is free to attend, however travel, accommodation and optional pre-event visits will need to be made at your own expense.

Why attend?

Be at the forefront of innovation:
Learn about new processes that could revolutionize residues from the agrifood industry.

Discover new revenue streams:
Benefit from insights into how you can create economic opportunities while improving sustainability.

Network with key stakeholders:
Connect with the leading academics, industry experts, and policymakers shaping the future.

Agenda

The full agenda can be found below or downloaded here.

The event kicks off in the afternoon of the 7th April and includes six sessions across two days. These will be led by academics, industry experts and policymakers, with a full rundown of sessions, themes, and speakers detailed below.

Optional pre-event activities including touristic, lab and industry visits are also available from Thursday 3rd April (details can be found further down this page).

Day one: Monday 7 April 13:0017:30

Welcome and opening session
13:00Ceremony for the Sino-EU joint laboratory and demonstration base for low-carbon recycling of agricultural residues
Nathalie Gontard  AgriLoop project coordinator, Research Director, National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), France
Aimin Shi AgriLoop project co-coordinator, Professor, Institute of Food Science and technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (IFST-CAAS), China
Session 1: Circular economy vision and priorities in the EU and China and co-funding opportunities
13:40Introduction to the China-EU cooperation for science and technology
TBC Representative of Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), China
14:00Policy and national practice in China for promoting circular economy and waste and residues recycling
TBC Representative of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA), China
14:20European policy on the circular economy
Antonio Malta Reis (TBC) International R&I Officer, European Commission, Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI)
14:40INRAE’s policy to strengthen agricultural collaboration and shared vision between France and China
Philippe Mauguin (TBC) CEO, National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), France                                        
15:00Cooperation between China and EU in agriculture
TBC Representative of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), China
Session 2: Circularity and safety of innovative value chains of agricultural residues
15:40Early assessment of potential valorization pathways of agri-residues and associated environmental impacts
Jan Broeze Researcher, Wageningen Research (WR), The Netherlands
Gang Li Associate Professor, Beijing Technology and Business University (BTBU), China
Miguel Mauricio Associate Professor, University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), Spain
16:00Synergistic effects of net zero carbon transition on social, economic and environmental health climate
Guofeng Shen Professor, Peking University, China
16:20Assessment of processing pathways and applications from an industry perspective, for side streams of agro-food processing industries
Ewoud De Gussem Owner, Impetus Company, Sustainability meet business, Belgium
16:40Unlocking the new value of agricultural residues: circulation channel expansion and security guarantee strategy
Yuguang Zhou – Professor, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
17:00Biorefinery design with OUTDOOR: guiding efficient pathway exploration for bioprocesses
Lucas van der Hauwaert PhD, University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), Spain

Day two: Tuesday 8 April 9:00 – 20:00

Session 3: Eco-efficient recovery of native functionality from agricultural residues
09:00Upstream proteins and chemicals recovery from agro-industrial biomass
Annalisa Tassoni Associate Professor, University of Bologna, Italy
Hui Hu Associate. Professor, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (IFST-CAAS), China
Chahinez Aouf Research Director, National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
09:20Corncob cellulose nanospheres for eco-friendly detergent
Yuan Li Professor, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
09:40Cutin bioresin from industrial tomato processing by-products for sustainable applications
Tommaso Barbieri Chief Operating Officer, Tomapaint SrL, Italy
10:00Value-added development and sustainable utilization of agricultural and cereal by-products
Lianhui Zhang Director of Grain Research and Development Center at COFCO Nutrition & Health Research Institute, China
10:20From labs to markets: tools and institutional mechanisms
Alessandra Guidi Scientific Officer, Italian Embassy in Bejing, China
Session 4: Bioconversion of agri-residues into microbial and fungal proteins and microbial polyesters
11:00A sneak peek at Agriloop´s biotechnological pathways for upcycling agri-residues
Maria Reis Professor, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Portugal
Wei Gao Associate Professor, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (IARRP-CAAS), China
Ramon Ganigué Associate Professor, University of Gent, Belgium
Ruan Zhiyong Professor, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (IARRP-CAAS), China
11:20Utilizing beneficial soil microbial resources to promote green and high-quality agricultural development
Bin Zhao Professor, HuaZhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
11:40Harnessing nature’s solution to plastic pollution: scaling up PHA production as natural alternative for plastic from organic residues
René Rozendal Managing Director, Paques Biomaterials Company, Balk, The Netherlands.
12:00Novel microbial cell factory: Zymomonas mobilis
Mingxiong He Professor, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (BIOMA-CAAS), Chengdu, China
12:20PHA production from non-food source substrates
George Chen Professor, Tsinghua University, China

Break for lunch

14:10Genetic basis of protein content variation of Agaricus bisporus
Rui-Lin Zhao Professor, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), China
14:30KANEKA Biodegradable Polymer Green Planet™: biodegradable PHBH as conventional plastic alternative
Shunsuke Sato Manager, Kaneka Company, Japan
Session 5: Upscaling biorefineries from and for the farming sector in frugal conditions
14:50From the bench to pilot scale applications for agricultural residues valorization in the Agriloop framework
David Bolzonella Professor, University of Verona, Italy
Xiaolong Yao Associate Professor, Beijing Technology and Business University (BTBU), China
15:10In the era of frugality, agriculture and bio-refinery synergistic upgrade strategy
Yeqing Li Professor, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, China
15:30Designing agricultural vegetal supplies as alternative to plastic to improve farmer’s lives
Thomas Guillard Industrial Design, La Moricière. France
Session 6: Networking and brokerage session for business, science and policy, with a special workshop for young stakeholders
16:30 -18:30Session 6a. Sino-European young stakeholders connecting session
The upcoming generation will exchange views during a dynamic session that gathers young actors from academic and professional sectors in Europe and China. This is a rare networking opportunity, bringing together a broad range of young professionals to share their work projects, current R&D ideas, experiences and build contacts for future collaborations.
Moderators:  Jinchuang Zhang (IFST-CAAS, China), Xiaojie Ma (IFST-CAAS, China), Xin Guo (Shenyang Agricultural University, China), Isabelle Dedieu (INRAE, France), Shinuo Cao (IFST-CAAS, China), Lucas Van Der Hauwaert (USC Spain).
– Presentations and key notes (30 min)
– Dynamic Sino-European connecting activities, mini-project competition (60mins)
– Debate, prospects and conclusion (30 min)
16:30 -18:30Session 6b. Networking session for business, science and policy This is a unique networking opportunities to explore business and research collaboration between Europe and China. You will network with industry, researchers and government officials, and explore policy and support measures. You may also make a short presentation about your business or research ideas and arrange business-to-business meetings.
Moderators: Burkhard Schaer (ECOZEPT, France), Gang Li (BTBU, China), Alice Charpigny (DSS+, Switzerland), Jan Linck (ECOZEPT, France)

A networking dinner to close the event will be held following session 6

Optional pre-event visits and activities

If you are arriving in Beijing ahead of the event, we have a range of exciting pre-event activities that you can join including lab and industry visits, as well as tours to some of China’s most famous landmarks. Please note that these do incur additional costs which are detailed below. You can indicate your interest when completing the registration form and further details will be supplied closer to the event.

 Option 1Option 2Option 3
 Visit China’s top university, explore the mushroom super factory, as well as experience Beijing’s historical landmarks and the birthplace of ConfucianismTour the Great Wall UNESCO World Heritage site, taste cutting-edge plant-based products at IFST-CAAS, see the full production process at the peanut factory and visit the Peanut History MuseumVisit the Fermentation Bioconversion Lab in the IARRP-CAAS, tour the advanced PHA factory, and explore China’s royal garden and the first bridge in China which is over 1,400 years old
Thursday 3rd April (touristic tours)
Full dayBeijing Summer PalaceGreat Wall UNESCO World Heritage siteBeijing Summer Palace
Friday 4th April (laboratory tours)
MorningPeking University/ China Agricultural UniversityLab visit to the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS)Lab visit to the Institute of Agricultural Resources & Regional Planning (IARRP), CAAS
AfternoonBeijing Houhai/ Temple of HeavenAs aboveAs above
Saturday 5th April (industry tours)
MorningShandong Youhe industry (mushroom production)Shandong Jinsheng Grain & Oil Group (peanut processing and by-product utilization)Hebei NACOL Biotechnol. Co., Ltd (PHA production)
AfternoonConfucius TemplePeanut History MuseumZhaozhou Bridge
Estimated cost (including entrance and travel)
 793 RMB (105€)828 RMN (109€)412 RMB (54€)

Travel information

Travel to the event and accommodation in Beijing are not covered and will need to be made at your own expense. Additionally, please ensure you check any visa and entry requirements.

The following countries have visa exemptions for stays of less than a maximum of 15 days (30 days for some countries) during the period of the event:

France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Japan, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia, Estonia, Latvia, Malta, Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Liechtenstein and South Korea

For all other countries, an invitation letter may be required to apply for the visa. Please state on the registration form if an invitation letter is required and we will get in contact to make the necessary arrangements.

Can’t join us in China?

All sessions will be recorded and made available post-event with the opportunity for you to participate in the various conversations. If you can’t join us in China but would like to be updated when the sessions are live online, please indicate your interest using the registration form linked below.

Book your place

Places are limited, so booking is essential. Register your place at the event and book any pre-event visits using the links below.