To accelerate the construction of Shanghai International Quinoa Innovation Platform, on May 16, Biotechnology Research Institute, SAAS and International Quinoa Center (CIQ) held an online video conference. Both parties discussed specific matters regarding the joint construction of an international cooperation platform and reached a series of consensuses. The Executive Director of CIQ, Jesús Equise Mamani, signed the cooperation confirmation letter on-site. The meeting was presided over by Prof. Shi Biao, director of Biotechnology Research Institute. Qin Peiyu, director of the Quinoa Professional Committee of the Crop Society of China and Prof. Ren Guixing, visiting researcher at our academy, were invited to attend and provide guidance. Vice Director Liu Chenghong of the institute and Asso. Prof. Guo Huimin participated in the meeting as well.

The International Quinoa Center (CIQ) was established under the framework of the United Nations' designation of 2013 as the "International Year of Quinoa." It was initiated by South American countries, recognized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and led by Bolivia as an international cooperation platform. The center has long been committed to research, production, and application studies in the entire quinoa industry chain, making significant contributions to global food security and the promotion of quinoa knowledge worldwide.

According to the plan, both parties will fully launch the joint construction cooperation in the second half of this year. Under the guidance of the FAO and the Chinese Quinoa Professional Committee, and with the care and support of relevant government departments, the platform will focus on quinoa breeding and processing as the entry point to build a quinoa science and technology innovation cooperation network and jointly transform quinoa from a minor crop into a major healthy new industry. This cooperation represents SAAS's pioneering layout in the field of quinoa industry chain technological innovation. It is not only an important measure for Shanghai to build an agricultural science and innovation center, but also a positive response to the national strategies of "China-Latin America cooperation" and the "Belt and Road" initiative.