On Oct 9 2025, during the General Assembly of the ECONUTRI Horizon Europe Project in Braga, Portugal, partners and guests celebrated a milestone in international scientific collaboration – sixteen years of partnership between the University of Warwick (UK) and the China Agricultural University (CAU), a collaboration that laid the foundations for ECONUTRI itself.
This enduring connection began with Dr. Clive Rahn, now External Advisor of ECONUTRI, who, during his years at Warwick University, initiated a joint research partnership with Dr. Qing Chen of CAU. Their collaboration has since evolved into a legacy of scientific exchange, innovation, and mutual respect between Europe and China.
The roots of this partnership trace back to the influential EU-ROTATE_N project (warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/lifesci/wcc/research/production/nutrition/eurotaten), an EU research initiative that developed a model DSS which in turn laid the groundwork for sustainable nutrient management studies in both Universities.
Over the years, this collaboration expanded to include scientists from leading organisations such as Wageningen University, the University of Almería, and NIBIO, among others, paving the way for new generations of cooperation in sustainable agriculture. The shared experience and scientific trust built through these years ultimately led to the creation of the ECONUTRI project, launched in November 2022, bringing together European and Chinese expertise to tackle nutrient losses and promote circular farming practices for the future.
In Braga, Dr. Rahn and Dr. Chen reunited to mark this shared journey — a testament to how long-term collaboration can grow from a single research initiative into a global partnership shaping the future of sustainable agriculture.
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