'Spirit of the craftsman' needed to reshape the dairy industry

Li Shengli, a professor at China Agriculture University and director of the Sino-Dutch Dairy Development Center, meets the press in Beijing. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Chinese dairy industry needs the "spirit of the craftsman" and to train more professionals to safeguard food safety and provide better products, a leading dairy expert said.

Li Shengli, a professor at China Agriculture University and director of Sino-Dutch Dairy Development Center, met with the press recently in Beijing. He said that the Chinese dairy industry has improved a lot after dairy scandals in 2008, and "the biggest challenge the industry faces today is the shortage of qualified labor".

Professional training has been introduced to industry insiders, from academic researchers and managerial personnel at dairy plants to farm workers, by international cooperation platforms, such as the Beijing-based Sino-Dutch Dairy Development Center.

"Nearly 200 cow breeding and farm management professionals have been trained in the center since its founding in 2013," Li said.

The Sino-Dutch Dairy Development Center is an initiative of China Agriculture University, Wageningen University and Research Center, also known as the "Silicon Valley" for the food industry, and Netherlands-based Royal FrieslandCampina, one of the world's largest dairy companies.

It works to improve the quality and safety of the Chinese dairy chain by taking in the Netherlands' advanced technology, experience and ideas.

"A total of 30 registered 'Cow Signals' masters, the first patch of such professionals in China, also graduated from the center, " said Li. Learning "Cow Signals" aims to improve the health and welfare of cows.

Atze Schaap, Director Dairy Development FrieslandCampina, speaks at a press conference in Beijing. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The center develops some pragmatic courses, which are held at a farm base in the Shunyi district of Beijing. Teachers are experts coming from China Agriculture University, Wageningen University and Research Center and some world-class companies in the dairy field.

"Learners combine book knowledge with actual practice," said Li. "It is an improvement for the whole industry."

"We want to share the Netherlands' dairy knowledge and experience with our Chinese peers", said Atze Schaap, Director Dairy Development FrieslandCampina, adding that it is helpful to the safety of China's dairy products.

Founded in 1871, FrieslandCampina had 19,244 dairy farms in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium by 2014, and more than 140 years of experience of cooperative entrepreneurship.

FrieslandCampina plays an important role in providing food for hundreds of millions of people all over the world. It controls the entire milk production chain from milk to end product - from grass to glass. This guarantees the safety, quality and sustainability of the products.

Demonstrating the Netherlands' best practices from grass to glass, the Sino-Dutch Dairy Development Center organizes five to six field trips to the Netherlands each year for Chinese dairy professionals.