The US-based fresh solutions company, AgroFresh, has announced a strategic partnership with Chinese fresh produce retailer, Pagoda, working toward a fresher and safer supply chain in China.
The collaboration will kick off with the opening of an innovation centre which will facilitate the development of extending freshness and quality of produce.
“As a company firmly rooted in research and science, the new innovation center in China enables us to apply our know-how to predict optimal fruit conditions and reduce waste,” said Jordi Ferre, AgroFresh CEO.
“Pagoda’s dedication to overall fruit quality, intimate knowledge of the local consumer and complex supply chain make the company a perfect partner to help us better develop and deliver localized freshness-preservation solutions,” he added.
The innovation centre is expected to be opened in the second half of 2018 and will be located in Guandong province, at an existing Pagoda distribution centre.
Insights from the collaboration will be used for AgroFresh’s retail and ecommerce strategies in China, that it can extend to other regions. Balancing out the partnership, Pagoda will gain valuable insights for its business development.
“AgroFresh has been revered as the global leader in fruit preservation and technology for nearly two decades,” said Huiyong Yu, Pagoda president. “We share like-minded goals to protect and sustain fruit quality. Working together, we’ll be able to enhance the customer experience, reduce food waste and make healthy diets more accessible.
“Cooperating with AgroFresh will arm us with more fruit intelligence and strengthen our position as a leading quality fruit provider.”
Pagoda is China’s leading fruit chain retailer with 3,000 outlets across the country.
