AgroFresh collaborates with Pagoda

AgroFresh Solutions has announced a new strategic collaboration with leading Chinese fruit retailer Pagoda Group.

Through this collaboration, AgroFresh and Pagoda will jointly evaluate and develop post-harvest technologies to improve the quality of fresh fruits and vegetables and help reduce food waste in China.

“We are excited to collaborate with the incredible team at Pagoda as we expand our presence in China,” said Clint Lewis, chief executive of AgroFresh. “By partnering with Pagoda, we will be able to expand our impact on the Chinese fresh produce industry, improve its post-harvest management solutions and further reduce food waste around the world.”

This announcement comes on the heels of AgroFresh’s expansion of its post-harvest portfolio of solutions with its acquisition of Tessara, an industry-leading provider of intelligent packaging solutions for preserving fresh produce, specialising in SO2 generating sheets to prevent decay in table grapes, berries, and flowers. Tessara has a global footprint and presence in China as well as other key fruit-growing regions such as South Africa, the US and Latin America.

AgroFresh’s senior leadership team, led by Lewis, held in-depth discussions with Huiyong Yu, the founder and chairman of Pagoda Group, Shan Yikang, vice president and senior director of strategic development and investment and financing centre of Pagoda Group, and Pagoda Group’s quality control and post-harvest research and development team. During the meeting, AgroFresh and Pagoda signed a strategic technical collaboration.

“The missions and ideas of both AgroFresh and Pagoda are highly compatible,” noted Yu. “We are excited to invest across the produce supply chain with AgroFresh as we work toward a more sustainable food system. This consensus provides a good foundation for cooperation between the two parties and a unique opportunity to export more fruit from China.”

Pagoda has developed innovative solutions to ensure high standards and quality control. Pagoda’s expertise and experience in quality control and post-harvest management establishes a strong foundation for the two parties to enable further collaboration and identify business opportunities.

Currently, AgroFresh operates seven R&D centers worldwide and Pagoda operates two R&D centers in China. AgroFresh plans to establish another R&D center in China through collaboration with Pagoda.

With this cooperation, AgroFresh and Pagoda will further strengthen their expertise and capabilities in post-harvest quality and freshness solutions and drive the development of new innovations that will help to reduce produce loss and waste in China and beyond.