Dr Haili Wu Chairs APEC Roundtable on Digital Empowerment of the Fruit and Vegetable Industry

Dr Haili Wu of International Business School Suzhou (IBSS) at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University recently attended the third APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting and related policy dialogue sessions in Dalian, China. She chaired a roundtable titled “Digital Empowerment for APEC Economies: Promoting Quality Improvement and Business Innovation in the Fruit and Vegetable Industry.”

Senior leaders at China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs invited Dr Wu to chair the session, which brought together experts and industry representatives from across China’s fruit and vegetable supply chain. The discussion explored how digital technologies are changing agricultural production, distribution and consumption across the Asia-Pacific region.

Drawing on her academic in behavioural economics and consumer decision-making, Dr Wu skilfully bridged macroeconomic policy issues with micro-level business behaviour. She guided the discussion around the theme of “human decision-making,” exploring how digital tools such as traceability systems and data platforms can not only improve industrial efficiency but also drive genuine quality enhancement and innovation by influencing consumer perceptions and farmer practices.

The panel brought together representatives from across the industry, including Jianping Zhang, Executive Vice President of the China Fruit Marketing Association; Jie L, former Vice President of Shenyang Agricultural University; Donghui Xu, Director of the Key Laboratory of Vegetable Quality and Safety Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Haiyan Li, Director of the Institute of Food and Nutrition Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Yan Liu, Chairman of Dalian Xingyeyuan Agricultural Products Co., Ltd.; and Jin Zhang, Chairman of Zhilian Anxian Data Technology. Their contributions ranged from policy and scientific research to market trends and practical business cases.

In her concluding remarks, Dr Wu stressed that digital empowerment is not merely about introducing new technology, but also about changing how decisions are made across the sector. Against the backdrop of APEC’s work on the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific and sustainable growth, she argued that the key to future business innovation will depend on policy guidance and market mechanisms that help smallholder farmers to access larger markets, build consumer trust in digitally verified products and support healthier dietary choices.

The event also created opportunities for IBSS academic staff and students to engage with future APEC-related research and collaboration between academia and industry.

IBSS’ international outlook and interdisciplinary approach are central to its research and teaching. Dr Wu’s contribution to the roundtable demonstrates how behavioural science can be applied to real-world economic challenges, connecting academic research with business practice and international policy discussions.