At a recent ceremony held at the Shanxi Agricultural University campus in China, Global Food Partners (GFP) and Shanxi Agricultural University (SAU) signed a partnership agreement to build the first cage-free training centre and model farm in China, the world’s largest egg producing country, according to a joint press release.

As consumer demand for cage-free eggs increases in China, egg producers have expressed a need for more training and technical support to transition to or optimise their cage-free production systems. Global Food Partners and Shanxi Agricultural University are teaming up to most effectively support the Chinese egg industry during this transition and assist with capacity building.

The centre will give producers the training they need to ensure sustainability, including good welfare practices and a competitive business advantage. The centre will also provide practical training in best practices in cage-free management, offer a research and development centre and serve farmers, auditors, veterinarians and other industry stakeholders region-wide. The farm will retrofit a cage facility and will act as a model for those farmers looking to transition from cage to cage free.

“This project will demonstrate best practices in cage-free egg production and showcase good management for cage-free farms," said Liu Wenzhong, dean of the College of Agricultural Standardization of Shanxi Agricultural University. "Additionally, we will provide cage-free egg production trainings, provide a communication channel for stakeholders and help cage-free farms increase their profits. We hope that this project will promote the collaboration between industry, academia and research, form cage-free egg production standards and promote the sustainable development of cage-free egg production.”

“We're thrilled to partner with Shanxi Agricultural University on the country’s first cage-free training centre – together we are building a cage-free ecosystem in China that will allow producers to successfully navigate the transition to cage-free eggs and bring together relevant stakeholders to ensure long-term success, sustainability, and profitability," said Jayasimha Nuggehalli, chief operating officer of Global Food Partners.

At the event, GFP and SAU also launched new “Best Practice Guidelines” for cage-free egg production in China. The Guidelines outline recommendations for best practices in cage-free egg production, including for biosecurity, hen welfare and management, and disease control.