The EU and China are the two major players in the global bioeconomy with a high potential for cooperation. The EU-funded AgriLoop project will extend the agricultural production value of the EU and China by eco-efficiently upgrading underexploited residues into a portfolio of high-added-value bio-products able to generate new bio-based markets. The project will develop safe-and-sustainable-by-design (SSbD) bioconversion processes and integrate them into a cascading biorefinery approach, to convert agri-residues from tomato, soy, straw, potato, brewery, oil, winery and livestock sectors, among others, into plant and microbial proteins, polyesters and other bio-based chemicals. AgriLoop will strengthen EU-China cooperation, inform SSbD guidance and increase resource efficiency through reduced discharges of agricultural residues.