From 18–20 May 2026, the Sino-German Agricultural Centre (DCZ) organized a policy dialogue delegation visit and expert exchange at BIOFACH China 2026 in Shanghai. The visit focused on strengthening bilateral exchange on organic certification, regulatory frameworks, market access, and trade cooperation between Germany and China.
China’s organic market has experienced significant growth in recent years and is developing within a distinct regulatory and market environment. At the same time, the regulatory path between Germany and China remains genuinely complicated and organic trade between the two countries continues to face practical challenges related to certification procedures, inspection systems, recognition mechanisms, and market access requirements. Against this background, the delegation visit and expert dialogue aimed to deepen mutual understanding between stakeholders from both countries and facilitate exchange on practical experiences and regulatory developments in the organic sector.
A key highlight of the program was the Sino-German panel discussion “Germany–China Organic Trade: Opportunities, Barriers, and the Way Forward,” which was held as part of the official BIOFACH China conference program. The panel brought together representatives from policymaking, certification bodies, organic associations, and the private sector to foster direct, informed dialogue between German and Chinese actors that can build the mutual understanding needed to turn market potentials into practice.
The discussion focused on practical and technical questions related to:
- Different regulatory and certification systems
- Dual certification requirements and market access barriers
- Transparency and credibility of organic control systems
- Digital traceability tools and certification procedures
- Opportunities to strengthen dialogue and mutual understanding between stakeholders
Panel speakers included:
- Christian Novak, Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture (LfL)
- GENG Yunxia, ECOCERT China
- Marco Schlüter, Naturland
- HAO Jing from the China Certification and Accreditation Association (CCAA), and
- ZHANG Youting, from Organic and Beyond, a pioneering Chinese organic food company.
The panel was moderated by Rita Merkle, Head of the DCz Science Dialogue.
Speakers shared practical insights into trade realities and the challenges which private companies and organic associations face in this bilateral trade. In a second time, systemic differences were discussed, including certification procedures and different inspection systems and their implications for organic trade. In a third part, three possible levers of change were discussed, namely the role of transparency, digital traceability, and continued technical dialogue., in order to support trust and facilitate trade between Germany and China.
In addition to participating in the BIOFACH China conference program, the delegation engaged in a series of field visits and exchanges with stakeholders from across the organic sector in Shanghai. The program included visits to organic retailers and supermarkets, including exchanges on traceability systems and store operations, as well as visits to organic farms and discussions with certification bodies and sector representatives on certification practices and market developments.
The delegation also visited the German Pavilion at BIOFACH China and exchanged with German companies exhibiting at the fair. These discussions provided additional insights into current market trends, export opportunities, and practical challenges faced by German companies active in the organic sector in China.
The policy dialogue supported mutual understanding of organic regulatory systems and sought to strengthen long-term exchange and cooperation between stakeholders from Germany and China in the field of sustainable agriculture and food systems.
