From July 21 to 23, International Symposium on Quinoa Technology Innovation and Industrial Collaboration was successfully held in Shanghai. 

At the conference, the China (Shanghai) International Quinoa Innovation Center (hereinafter referred to as the "Quinoa Innovation Center") was officially inaugurated. Leveraging this platform, SAAS will collaborate with domestic and international expert teams to focus on key areas such as quinoa germplasm innovation, deep processing, and high-value utilization. The goal is to achieve a series of landmark outcomes within 3–5 years, empowering the development of quinoa as a new productive force and supporting national food security and rural revitalization strategies.

President of SAAS, Cai Youming mentioned that the Quinoa Innovation Center is the second international cooperation platform established by SAAS following the CIMMYT-China Specialty Maize Research Center. He emphasized that the center should strive to become a hub for industrial development, an open platform for international collaboration, and a collaborative space for diversified innovation. By harnessing Shanghai’s vast market and global resources, the center will enhance research, foster diverse partnerships, and align resources with market demands to improve technological efficiency, promote industrial upgrading, and contribute to rural revitalization as a distinctive agricultural sector.

President of Crop Science Society of China, Liu Luxiang remarked that quinoa, a crop with both nutritional and ecological value, is entering a new phase of development. The establishment of the Quinoa Innovation Center will elevate China’s quinoa science and industrialization capabilities while opening new avenues for agricultural cooperation between China and Latin America.

Leaders from the Shanghai Agriculture and Rural Affairs Commission, Science and Technology Commission, and Finance Bureau pledged multidimensional support—scientific, financial, and policy-driven—to help the center become a global hub for quinoa resources and technology, accelerating Shanghai’s rise as an agricultural innovation powerhouse. Jesus Equise Mamani, Executive Director of the International Quinoa Center; Carlos Aldeco, FAO Representative in China; and Professor Chen Erzhen, Deputy Director of Ruijin Hospital affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, extended their congratulations and support via video messages.

Liu Hong, Deputy President of SAAS, proposed at the closing ceremony that the center serves as a catalyst for comprehensive cooperation in R&D, talent cultivation, academic exchange, technology transfer, and science popularization. He called for expanding quinoa’s "network of collaborators" and strengthening its "industrial ecosystem," later presenting certificates to the keynote speakers.

The event also marked the debut of quinoa product lines jointly developed by SAAS and partner enterprises. Attendees visited production bases and processing facilities at Shanghai Huiji Agricultural Development Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Qingmei Green Food Group Co., Ltd., witnessing firsthand the vast potential of quinoa industrialization.

The seminar was co-organized by Quinoa Committee of the Crop Science Society of China, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences.