CIIE 2019: Yili Establishes Dairy Industry's First Sustainable International Supply Chain Network

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SHANGHAI, Nov. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Yili Group ("Yili"), Asia's leading dairy company, has signed off a series of strategic partnerships with 13 leading international companies. The move, inking agreements with companies working in areas as diverse as food processing to risk management, marks the establishment of the dairy industry's first sustainable international supply chain network and cements Yili's position as a pioneer in China's dairy industry.

Held between November 5-10 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, China, CIIE promotes trade liberalization and economic globalization and aims to further open Chinese markets to the world. During CIIE, Yili exhibited eight hero line products including SATINE Pure Milk, Perfectlands Milk, PRO-KIDO and Pure Nutra products imported from New Zealand. The presented products reflect the group's ongoing commitment to innovation, collaboration and eco-friendly development to build a better future for human health.

Regarded as a highlight of the Expo, the network demonstrates Yili's belief that industry strengths can be leveraged as part of a collective framework for greater cooperation, innovation and green development. Key players in the agriculture industry, including the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, also attended the Expo's International Forum on Agriculture and Food Cooperation on November 8.

"Globalization has cultivated fertile opportunities for the agriculture industry to share resources and promote international cooperation. Now, more than ever, it's imperative for organizations to join forces, play to each other's strengths and work together to meet the health needs of people around the world," said Zhang Jianqiu, CEO of Yili Group. "By building a global sustainable supply chain network, we have broadened the opportunities for cooperation in the dairy industry and contributed to the world's health ecosystem, while creating greater social value by supporting sustainable initiatives and improving the quality of health worldwide."

Partnerships signed during the Expo included Tetra Pak, a multinational food packaging and processing company; Cargill, a global food, agriculture, nutrition and risk management company dedicated to sustainable growth; and Roquette, a global leader in plant-based ingredients for Food, Nutrition and Health. A powerful alliance between two food industry giants, Yili's partnership with Roquette embodies the Expo's mission to promote trade amongst the world's leading organizations.

The agreement between Yili and Roquette was formalized during an economic forum on November 6 in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. As part of the partnership, Yili Group will source a variety of natural materials from Roquette over the next three years and continue to expand its food nutrition arm. In addition, both parties will work together to explore opportunities for new product development, technological innovation and food safety.

"Through our long-term cooperation, we have established an excellent partnership with Yili. In recent years, Roquette and the Yili Group have collaborated to quickly move from a simple supply relationship to a strategic partnership," said Chen Yehong, CEO of Roquette China. "By sharing our resources and knowledge, Roquette and Yili are collectively committed to building a better future for our customers around the world."

Yili's global supply chain network is part of the group's ongoing optimization of production and distribution and reflects its belief that Chinese enterprises play an integral role in fostering international cooperation and defining the future direction for sustainable development in the agriculture industry. Yili's actions in sustainable development have become regarded as a benchmark in the industry: at the first Sustainable Development Forum, Yili's proposal for biodiversity conservation was selected by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. The group was also highlighted as a Chinese case study in the China's Progress Report on Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 2019. Yili was the only health food company featured in the report.

In its recent history, Yili has accelerated its vision of internationalization through the integration of global resources and optimization of its global industrial supply chain. By increasing its global partnership network, Yili has created new platforms for cooperation between China's dairy industry and the global dairy industry, while simultaneously opening up the Chinese market to international enterprises. Moving forward, Yili will continue to explore sustainable development opportunities across the world, to cultivate a better future through building a global health ecosystem.

About Yili Group

Yili is the largest dairy company with the most substantial product range in China. According to the 2018 Rabobank "Global Dairy Top 20", Yili ranks first in Asia. Its annual sales of liquid milk, yoghurt, cold drinks and milk powder exceeds 37 billion units, and every day more than 100 million Yili products are delivered to consumers all over the world. Yili is also the only dairy manufacturer in China to have served both the Summer and Winter Olympics. In 2017, Yili was awarded "China's best practices of Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)" by the UN Global Compact, the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative, and ranked third in Brand Finance's 2019 edition of the "Top 50 Most Valuable Food Brands in the World".

SOURCE Yili Group