China News Service, Shanghai, November 8 (Dai Yue) In the agricultural and food products exhibition area of the 9th China International Import Expo, fresh seafood such as Adriatic blue crabs and clams that had just arrived in Shanghai by air were neatly placed on the exhibition stand, attracting a large number of buyers and visitors to stop and inquire. This is the first time seafood products from Italian Goro Fishery Cooperative have landed on the Chinese market.
"Chinese consumers have very strong demand for high-quality, fresh seafood from origin, which allows us to see huge market potential." Luca Manglini, head of the cooperative, said that they hope to rely on the CIIE platform and the cold chain resources of China Supply and Marketing Cooperatives to open up a direct cold chain supply channel from Italian fishing waters to Chinese dining tables.
This scene is a microcosm of the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives' efforts to promote the connection of global cooperative supply chains at this CIIE.
The International Cooperative Exhibition turns into the "granary of the world"
At this CIIE, the International Cooperative Products and Supply Chain Exhibition turned a 300-square-meter exhibition area into the "granary of the world." The exhibition is co-organized by the International Cooperative Alliance and the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives, and is supported by international organizations such as the Global Organization of Consumer Cooperatives and the International Cooperative Alliance Asia-Pacific Trade Committee.
International Cooperative Products and Supply Chain Exhibition Area at the CIIE. Photo provided by interviewee
The exhibition area spans the four continents of Asia, Europe, Africa, and South America. Nearly 40 high-quality cooperative organizations and leading enterprises from 20 countries and regions, including Argentina, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Vietnam, and Kenya, are participating in the exhibition. The exhibits cover nearly 100 kinds of high-quality agricultural and sideline products such as fresh meat, grains, oils, nuts, specialty drinks, condiments, and deeply processed foods.
Argentinian high-quality boneless beef, extra virgin olive oil and wine, Bulgarian rose essential oil and herbal tea, Vietnamese edible mushrooms and cashews, Malaysian fresh coconut products and traditional kaya paste and other specialty products were all on display at the CIIE.
"The CIIE provides us with an excellent window to directly reach Chinese consumers," said Hector Jacquet, secretary-general of the Argentine Federation of Consumer Cooperatives. He hopes to leverage the advantages of China's supply and marketing cooperatives' modern agricultural product circulation service network to establish long-term direct procurement cooperation with large domestic wholesale and retail enterprises.
Build an open and win-win stage
At this CIIE, the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives organized its affiliated enterprises and institutions, 31 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Supply and Marketing Cooperatives to form a trading group to participate in the exhibition. More than 900 companies (units) and more than 1,300 people registered, and the number of participants reached a new high. During the CIIE, supply and marketing cooperative trading groups have conducted in-depth docking with global high-quality suppliers in fields such as fertilizers, cotton, and agricultural products.
On-site signing ceremony of the supply and marketing cooperative purchasing group. Photo provided by interviewee
On the afternoon of November 5, the supply and marketing cooperative trading group held a centralized signing ceremony. The China Supply and Marketing Group and the Guangdong Provincial Supply and Marketing Cooperative Trading Group signed procurement and cooperation agreements on-site with 17 companies from the United States, France, Australia, Kazakhstan, Brazil, Vietnam and other countries. The signed projects cover potash fertilizer, compound fertilizer, cotton, meat, grain and oil and other commodities.
"The CIIE has established an important platform for agricultural-related enterprises to open up to the outside world at a high level and connect with global resources." Liu Yong, deputy general manager of China Supply and Marketing Group, said that China Supply and Marketing Group continues to expand overseas high-quality resources with the help of the CIIE and promote the diversification of import channels, which not only ensures the supply of agricultural inputs for domestic agricultural production, but also enriches the supply of domestic agricultural products and food.
Transnational Economic and Trade Mechanism Incubator
The CIIE can not only facilitate single-batch procurement, but also promote normalization of cooperation through economic and trade docking and mechanism building.
During this CIIE, the International Cooperative Products and Supply Chain Exhibition Area set up a special "Economic and Trade Docking Negotiation Area". The organizers organized professional purchasing groups from supply and marketing cooperatives from all provinces and cities across the country and leading agricultural-related enterprises to enter the venue for negotiations. A number of cross-border procurement intentions were reached on the spot, including coffee procurement, high-quality red wine agency, and the introduction of edible fungi deep processing technology.
Jenny Kasoku, CEO of Kenya Cooperative Coffee Export Co., Ltd. said: "The CIIE brings not only orders, but also a coffee industry chain connecting Kenya and China. In this open and shared event, we feel the vast opportunities in the Chinese market."
"The CIIE is not only a display stage, but also an incubator for transnational economic and trade mechanisms." The relevant person in charge of the Asia-Pacific Trade Committee of the International Cooperative Alliance said that the committee is committed to deepening collaboration with core members such as China Supply and Marketing Cooperatives, gradually upgrading the point-to-point business docking facilitated during the CIIE into a normalized transnational supply and demand direct connection mechanism covering Asia-Pacific cooperatives, breaking information barriers and transaction blockages, and building a more resilient and fairer long-term supply chain channel for agricultural cooperatives in the Asia-Pacific region.
During the CIIE, the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives, as a governing unit of the International Cooperative Alliance and vice-chairman unit of the Asia-Pacific region, also held the National Supply and Marketing Cooperatives Foreign Economic and Trade Work Promotion Conference, the International Cooperative Economic and Trade Cooperation Promotion Association, cooperative digital trade construction training courses and multiple B2B precision economic and trade matching activities.
The relevant person in charge of the International Cooperation Department of the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives said that China’s supply and marketing cooperatives will continue to use the CIIE as a platform to strengthen exchanges and docking with cooperatives in various countries, promote the deepening of cooperation between Chinese and foreign cooperatives in the fields of agricultural product trade, supply chain construction and digital trade, and share development opportunities in an open and cooperative environment. (over)
