Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program (ASTIP), a major long-term (2013-2025) national program, involving 330 innovation teams and over 7.6 billion RMB (equivalent to 1.1 billion USD), was launched in January 2013, and greatly improves CAAS innovation capacity by attracting more top scientists, improving research infrastructure, and overcoming technical bottlenecks that have limited agricultural development in China. The ASTIP acts as an innovative engine and incubator, explores a new path for agricultural science and technology drivers, and introduces a new model for China’s agricultural science and technology innovation, which laid a solid foundation for leapfrog development and greater responsibilities on national missions in the agricultural science and technology sectors.

Driven by ASTIP, CAAS has explored a new path for the reform and development. Focusing on the mission of “serving the major scientific and technological needs of the industry and leaping to the top of the world’s agricultural science and technology echelon”, the Academy has provided long-term and stable support for public welfare, fundamental and strategic scientific research. CAAS built an innovative “three-level disciplinary system”, stabilizing the related direction of the Academy. More than 300 scientific research teams composed of chief experts, research backbones and research assistants have been established, forming a stable and organic innovation structure. Focusing on more result-oriented goals and tasks, resources and research posts are assigned according to needs and innovation enthusiasm has been better motivated based on performance evaluation mechanism.

With the support of ASTIP, the innovation level and efficiency of the Academy have been greatly improved, and major scientific and technological achievements continue to emerge. The Academy has made many original scientific discoveries in rice genomics, vegetable genomics, genomics technology and other fields. CAAS also made breakthroughs in a number of core key technologies in wheat hybridization, soil resource protection, intelligent livestock breeding, etc. The Academy created a batch of internationally leading new crop and livestock varieties such as high-quality, heat-resistant and high-yield wheat “Zhongmai 895”, yellow feather broiler and white feather broiler. CAAS has carried out major national emergency-level research on such agricultural matters of concern as African swine fever and the fall armyworm, making significant contributions to ensuring the food supply.

Together with international institutions and major national scientific research forces, CAAS   launched and implemented major international agricultural science programs such as functional crop genomics and smart agriculture. The academy took the lead in organizing 300 scientific research institutions and nearly 1,000 enterprises in China to establish nearly 100 innovation alliances to carry out integrated technologies research and demonstration and offer training courses. collaborative innovation actions. To meet the technical needs of high-quality development of regional agriculture, CAAS promotes 15 research and demonstration programs of integration and demonstration of high-yield and efficient technology with local governments,  a total of 138 demonstration bases have been established. The synergy of national agricultural science and technological forces in collaborative innovation has been significantly enhanced.