COFCO builds an international cooperation platform to advance food supply chain innovation
On November 10, witnessed by New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, COFCO Group signed a four-party cooperation framework agreement in Beijing with PwC China, PwC New Zealand and New Zealand state-owned enterprise AsureQuality Limited, bringing the best practices of the international food quality and safety-related industry into China to assist COFCO Group in establishing innovative solutions that run through the entire food supply chain. President Sun Yiping witnessed the signing ceremony of COFCO, AsureQuality, PwC China and PwC New Zealand on site.
New Zealand's AsureQuality is wholly owned by the New Zealand government and is the largest food quality and safety certification enterprise in the Southern Hemisphere, as well as one of the most internationally recognized food quality and safety certification bodies.
Mengniu is the earliest Chinese dairy enterprise to launch strategic cooperation with AsureQuality. As early as April 2013, with the support and witness of the Chinese and New Zealand governments, Mengniu signed its first cooperation framework agreement with AsureQuality. Since then, the two parties have jointly established a third-party independent certification body for food quality and safety. Through covering Mengniu's entire industrial chain with food quality and safety certification, especially the comprehensive control of upstream pastures, it has greatly promoted Mengniu's full alignment with international dairy quality standards.
The cooperation between Mengniu and AsureQuality laid a solid foundation for this signing. It is understood that this international cooperation between COFCO, AsureQuality and PwC is also intended to explore the establishment of a cooperation platform to provide COFCO Group and China's food and agricultural products industry with a long-term, stable and trustworthy international expert team, tailor an integrated food safety and quality management solution for COFCO Group, reduce safety risks and management costs, and enhance the brand's international influence.
Ning Gaoning, Chairman of COFCO Group, said: “As China's largest grain, oil and food enterprise, COFCO will be committed to advancing the global industrial chain, establishing full-process quality control and a full-chain traceability system, strengthening international cooperation, and safeguarding the stable supply and safety and health of grain and food. I believe that COFCO's cooperation with PwC and AsureQuality can better advance progress in food safety.”