China’s signals a growing strategic focus on agrifood modernization, creating opportunities for Dutch companies across the sector. Climate smart innovations using artificial intelligence and robotics are applications where China and the Netherlands both have rich experiences to share.
China’s modernization in agrifood is generating long-term demand for high-quality, technology-driven solutions. These are areas where Dutch agrifood companies have globally recognized strengths.
Erik Smidt, Netherlands Agricultural Counsellor to China: “The focus on smart agriculture, AI and robotics in China is strategic and policy driven. It provides an enabling environment for Dutch – Sino business opportunities.”
"The focus on smart agriculture provides an enabling environment for Sino - Dutch business opportunities."
Smart agriculture is driving opportunities
In advancing food security, China emphasizes high-quality production of fresh vegetables, eggs, and dairy products, supported by breakthroughs in agricultural technology and the adoption of smart and sustainable farming practices. In Guangxi province for example, agricultural modernization is actively promoted through horticulture vegetable production and smart agriculture. Large-scale greenhouse cultivation zones present opportunities for Dutch expertise in greenhouse construction, integrated pest management, and precision fertigation.
In other parts of China, horticulture is expanding rapidly with modern glass greenhouse complexes covering over 130 hectares each. These facilities produce high-value crops such as cherry tomatoes and strawberries in climate-controlled environments. Shanghai, for example, aims to establish around 3,600 hectares of modern greenhouse and horticulture zones, designed as demonstration sites for smart, climate-resilient production systems. These include applications such as automated climate control, hydroponics, vertical farming, and circular agriculture models.
This smart agriculture focus provides opportunities for Dutch solutions in climate-controlled greenhouse systems, precision irrigation, and substrate-based cultivation, all of which can enhance productivity and efficiency.
Accelerating crop varieties
The seed industry is also scaling up at pace, creating entry points for the Dutch seed sector in breeding partnerships, seed processing technologies, and digital phenotyping platforms that accelerate variety screening and commercialization.
Plans go beyond primary production and focus on integrated agri-food systems, from seed breeding and R&D to production, and logistics to retail. Dedicated agri-tech innovation zones and research platforms are being developed to accelerate the adoption of digital and biological technologies in agriculture. For example, developments in Shanghai include seed innovation and offer a policy-backed environment to pilot and scale solutions. International collaboration is explicitly promoted.
Revitalizing the seed industry remains a key priority, with a focus on accelerating the development and deployment of improved crop varieties and advancing the industrialization of biological breeding.
Artificial intelligence and robotics
China aims to expand artificial intelligence applications across agriculture, including drones, the Internet of Things, and robotics, alongside increased innovation in agricultural bio-manufacturing. Smart agriculture and digital livestock farming are advancing through AI-enabled technologies, including drones for pesticide application, IoT-based monitoring platforms. These are applications where China and the Netherlands both have rich experiences to share in digital farm management, livestock monitoring, and integrated smart systems to improve efficiency, biosecurity, and production management.
The future is now
These strategic directions are outlined in the recently adopted No.1 Central Document. This year’s document is particularly significant, as it lays the foundation for implementing China’s Five-Year Plan. It provides a policy framework for meaningful engagements between China and the Netherlands. Many topics in the document vary in level of detail and will be further specified through sector-specific policies at both national and sub-national levels. These are relevant developments to monitor.
The LVVN Attaché Network in China looks forward to exploring these opportunities together with Dutch businesses and industry partners. For more information, please contact the team at pek-lvvn@minbuza.nl.