AgroFresh Solutions, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., partnered with Pagoda, a China-based fruit chain retailer, to open an innovation center that develops solutions designed to extend the freshness and quality of fresh produce and meet China's specific supply chain needs.

AgroFresh and Pagoda will collaborate to research and identify fruit quality problems and deliver actionable insights and solutions that will promote freshness at every step in the value chain for Chinese consumers.

"As a company firmly rooted in research and science, the new innovation center in China enables us to apply our know-how to predict optimal fruit conditions and reduce waste," says Jordi Ferre, chief executive officer of AgroFresh. "Pagoda's dedication to overall fruit quality, intimate knowledge of the local consumer and complex supply chain make the company a perfect partner to help us better develop and deliver localized freshness-preservation solutions."

Partnering with Pagoda allows AgroFresh to enter a new and growing market that needs solutions to extend fruit freshness.

Expected to open in the second half of 2018, the innovation center will be located at a Pagoda distribution center in Guangdong province. This collaboration will also set the foundation for AgroFresh's retail and ecommerce strategy for China that can be extended to other regions.

"AgroFresh has been revered as the global leader in fruit preservation and technology for nearly two decades," says Huiyong Yu, president of Pagoda. "We share like-minded goals to protect and sustain fruit quality. Working together, we'll be able to enhance the customer experience, reduce food waste and make healthy diets more accessible. Cooperating with AgroFresh will also arm us with more fruit intelligence and strengthen our position as a leading quality fruit provider."