Guided by the Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Science and Technology of China, sponsored by China Rural Technology Development Center, the China-Latin America Agricultural Education and Research Innovation Alliance (CLAERIA) and South China Agricultural University (SCAU) jointly held an International Symposium on China-Latin America Soybean Breeding, Production and Industry on December 14-15, 2021 (Beijing time). The opening ceremony was hosted by Vice President Qiu Rongliang.

The purpose of this symposium is to build an exchange and cooperation platform where experts on soybean biological breeding and enterprises in China and Latin American countries could meet and share the ideas and research outcomes in soybean biological breeding, thus promoting the China-Latin American soybean biological research and its commercialization.

Prof. Liu Yahong, President of SCAU 

The symposium, with the themes on Soybean germplasm resources, new breeding technologies, and integration of soybean breeding, production and promotion, was attended online by representatives from Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, Embassy of Brazil in China, Chinese Embassy in Brazil, Embassy of Argentina in Beijing and leading soybean researchers from China and Latin America. A list of VIP speakers, including Mr DENG Xiaoming, Director-General of China Rural Technology Development Center, Ms HE Yicheng, Project Director of Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Science and Technology, Mr. Jose Roberto de Andrade Filho, Counsellor of Science and Technology，Embassy of Brazil in China, Mr. GUO Dong, Second Secretary, Section of Science and Technology, Chinese Embassy in Brazil, Mr. Hernan Viola, Agro-Industrial Counsellor, Embassy of Argentina in Beijing, and Prof. LIU Yahong, President of South China Agricultural University, delivered opening remarks.

Mr DENG Xiaoming, Director-General of China Rural Technology Development Center

Mr. GUO Dong, Second Secretary, Section of Science and Technology, Chinese Embassy in Brazil

Mr. Jose Roberto de Andrade Filho, Counsellor of Science and Technology，Embassy of Brazil in China

Mr. Hernan Viola, Agro-Industrial Counsellor, Embassy of Argentina in Beijing

Prof. Liu Yahong extended cordial gratitude to Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, Latin American Embassies in China and Chinese embassies in Latin America for their constant care and support to CLAERIA, as well as the active participation of soybean experts from China and Latin America.  Since the outbreak of COVID-19, China and Latin America are faced with the challenge of promoting economic growth and improving people's livelihood. China and Latin America enjoy great potentials and promising prospects for agricultural technological cooperation. Soybean is an important crop in China and Latin America. Improving its yield and quality is of great significance to reducing global hunger and poverty, promoting rural economic recovery and revitalization, coping with climate change and natural disasters, and realizing green and sustainable agricultural development in China and Latin America.

As the initiator of the China-Latin America Agricultural Education and Research Innovation Alliance (CLAERIA), SCAU has been and will be devoted to the Alliance’s Action Plan on Agricultural Cooperation between China and Latin America, promoting soybean industry revitalization to provide solid guarantee for food security in China and Latin America as a whole. SCAU will reinforce practical cooperation in soybean education, research and commercialization based on the international platform provided by CLAERIA.

On the opening ceremony, all the attendants witnessed the signing ceremony of “Brazil-China Research Center for Agribusiness’ Sustainable Technology and Innovation in Mato Grosso” between SCAU and NURIMAT,“Brazil-China Research and Innovation Center on Sustainable Agrotechnologies” and “Brazil-China Research Center on Chemistry, Food Science and Emerging Technologies (FoodChemTech-BRCH)” between SCAU and UFSM.

Congratulatory Remarks by Dr. Paulo Afonso Burmann, President of  

After the opening ceremony came the academic reports of soybean experts, where they shared the latest research outcome of soybean breeding, scientific research, promotion and industrial cooperation. Prof. Nian Hai from South China Agricultural University and Prof. Tian Zhixi from Institute of Genetics and Developments, Chinese Academy of Sciences were moderators and gave academic reports respectively. Another 14 speakers who also delivered academic reports came from leading Chinese and Latin American universities, research institutes and companies, such as Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sichuan Agricultural University, Beijing DaBeiNong Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Syngenta, Embrapa Soybean Research, Universidad Austral de Chile, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Federal University of Santa Maria, Universidad Nacional Arturo Jauretche, etc. Their reports has provided insightful views to all the attendants.

Dr.Yu Caihong

This symposium has generated intensive and fruitful communication and exchanges of ideas, which will help promote the China-Latin American soybean biological research and its commercialization. CLAERIA and SCAU are honored to provide this platform for experts to share their research outcome and academic concerns on soybean breeding, industry and production so as to address the challenges of food security in the coming post-pandemic era.

Mr. Zhu Hao from MOST 

Prof. Nian Hai, South China Agricultural University 

Prof. Chen Letian,South China Agricultural University 

Prof. Yang Wenyu,Sichuan Agricultural University,

Prof. Cassiano Spaziani,Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso,  

Dr. Daniel, Universidad Austral de Chile

Dr. Constanza Carrera, INTA