This new framework agreement highlights scientific themes at the heart of current global challenges: sustainable agriculture in the context of global change, nutrition and human health, the environment, soil science and climate change, water and irrigation resources, genetic and genomic resources, plant protection, smart agriculture, remote sensing, etc. A key player in Chinese research in these fields, the CAAS is one of INRAE’s leading partners in China in terms of the number of joint studies published[1].

The framework agreement boosts the development of joint bilateral research projects, joint participation in consortium projects, and strengthened cooperation at institutional level.  It supports the structured cooperation initiated by INRAE. Among INRAE’s international associated laboratories (LIAs) with its partners in China, and where applicable, partners from higher French learning, two LIAs carry out work in collaboration with CAAS:  the plant-insect interaction LIA for the agroecological protection of plants, with CAAS’s Institute for Plant Protection, and the wheat genomics and breeding LIA with CAAS’s Crop Institute. These collaborations give rise to scientific mobility, joint research projects and training, scientific events, and joint publications.