Last Tuesday, October 29, the University of Pollenzo hosted an exceptional educational event featuring the Executive Vice President of the SZAP Group – Shenzhen Agricultural Products Group, Mr. Chen Liwei. SZAP is a leading entity in China in the logistics and distribution management of agricultural raw materials across the Guangdong and Hong Kong regions, impacting around 200 million people.
During a conference attended by a large number of students, Chen Liwei provided an in-depth overview of Chinese agriculture, detailed SZAP’s operations, and showcased the range of agricultural and food products and the brand-building process through case studies of selected products.
The first part of the event, dedicated to agriculture in China, allowed students to gain fresh, unique insights into the historical, social, and economic aspects related to food in this vast country. China’s population surpasses that of the Americas, Europe, and Oceania combined, with a total exceeding 1.4 billion inhabitants. Consequently, the country’s immense geographical diversity results in regional variations in dietary habits, the consumption of various products and dishes, dietary patterns, cooking and preparation methods, and how meals are shared in family and social settings.
“Eating habits in China form a diverse system, deeply influenced by geography, history, and culture, and may continue to evolve toward a healthier and more varied direction in the future,” said the Vice President of SZAP. Particularly intriguing was the moment when Chen Liwei discussed the preferences for different flavors based on the gender and age of Chinese consumers and recent changes in taste preferences among younger generations.
“Flavor is crucial for Chinese consumers,” Liwei explained, “to the extent that seasonings and aromas are more important than the base product itself. This contrasts with Italian consumers, who place greater value on the primary taste of the raw material.”
Of course, with the rise of the new retail economy and the internet, the production, distribution, and retailing of agricultural products in China have seen significant changes, and SZAP is at the forefront in interpreting and anticipating these shifts.
SZAP aims to become a leading international company across the modern agricultural product distribution chain. It is currently the first state-owned holding company listed in China’s agricultural product circulation sector. SZAP operates in 22 Chinese cities and 2 foreign cities, managing 35 markets and overseeing 407,500 acres (around 165,000 hectares) of cultivated land, with an annual commercial volume of 36 million tons, serving over 200 million people.
The group is now planning considerable international expansion, focusing on five new regions. Key areas for future development include Southeast Asia (covering countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand), the Middle East (Saudi Arabia and Oman), and South America (Brazil, Argentina, and Chile).
Chen Liwei concluded with a Chinese proverb: “Food is of primary importance to people.” Therefore, all of us are involved in a great cause.
CHEN LIWEI is the General Manager of the SZAP Group’s Industrial Chain Management Department. His business areas include plantation, supply chain, urban distribution, import and export, and the creation of new brands in the food industry. Chen brings extensive experience in fresh agricultural product supply chain projects and internet-based agro-industrial platforms. He was involved in building China’s largest agricultural product trading platform, “Zhongnong.com,” and created China’s first B2B industrial and urban fruit distribution platform. He is also a member of the China E-commerce Expert Committee.