From June 25 to 27, 2026, the 16th International Buckwheat Symposium was successfully held in Xichang City, Sichuan Province of China. Jointly hosted by the Crop Science Society of China (CSSC), the Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (ICS-CAAS), the Liangshan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and the International Buckwheat Research Association (IBRA), the symposium was co-organized by the Oat and Buckwheat Professional Committee of CSSC, the Liangshan Association of Agricultural Science Societies, the Liangshan Buckwheat Association, Liangshan Culture & Tourism Investment Group Co., Ltd., and Xichang University. The China Agriculture Research System for Oat and Buckwheat, Panxi Crops Research and Utilization Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province served as co-sponsors. Nearly 300 experts, scholars, and agribusiness representatives from 15 countries attended the symposium, including Russia, Poland, India, Italy, the Republic of Korea, Slovenia, China and etc.

Under the theme “Buckwheat Science and Technology Innovation for Human Nutrition and Health,” the symposium featured seven thematic tracks: buckwheat germplasm resources, functional genomics, nutrition and health, deep processing and product development, genetics and breeding, cultivation and physiology, and cultural and environmental perspectives. Academic exchanges were conducted through five formats: plenary keynote speeches, invited lectures, parallel sessions, industry–academia–research roundtable forum, and a young scholar forum, totaling 55 presentations. Participants shared cutting-edge advances in molecular breeding, whole-plant valorization, and premium functional food development, fostering long-term collaboration among global research institutions, producers, and investors.

Six distinguished experts delivered plenary keynotes covering pivotal topics: genetic improvement and ideal plant architecture in buckwheat; review and prospects of China’s crop germplasm resources; high-quality industrial development driven by the China Agriculture Research System for Oat and Buckwheat; linguistic evidence for buckwheat origin, differentiation, and dispersal; rutin metabolism and environmental adaptation; research progress and history of tartary buckwheat in Liangshan; and a historical review of past International Buckwheat Symposia. The keynote speakers were:

•Prof. Ivan Kreft, Founding Member of IBRA, Member of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

•Academician Liu Xu, Chinese Academy of Engineering, Researcher, CAAS

•Prof. Ren Changzhong, Former Chief Scientist of the China Agriculture Research System for Oat and Buckwheat, Former Director of Baicheng Academy of Agricultural Sciences

•Prof. Qumu Tiexi, Director of Academy of China’s Applied Ethnic Languages and Character for National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Minzu University of China

•Prof. Zhou Meiliang, Executive Chair of the 16th International Buckwheat Symposium, ICS-CAAS

•Prof. Jise Fangsen, Director of Liangshan Academy of Agricultural Sciences

At the closing ceremony on June 27, it was announced that Italy will host the 17th International Buckwheat Symposium. Prof. Emanuele De Paoli from the University of Udine addressed the audience on behalf of the next organizing committee.

IBRA officially released the “Liangshan Initiative of the 16th International Buckwheat Symposium” in 11 languages. The initiative calls upon the global buckwheat community to advance the industry collaboratively, promote open and voluntary academic exchange, and foster high-quality development across research and industrial chains. It advocates establishing enduring collaborative networks, regular scholarly dialogues, and joint research programs.

Parallel to the academic program, participants visited the Chengdu-Liangshan Industrial Park in Xichang, touring leading buckwheat processors such as Xichang Zhengzhong Food Co., Ltd. and the Buckwheat Culture Expo Park operated by Liangshan Huiqiao Biotechnology Co., Ltd.

The symposium received extensive coverage from major domestic media, including CCTV.com, The Beijing News, China Daily, Science and Technology Today, Guangming Net, and Phoenix News. The event deepened China’s academic ties with the global buckwheat research community, accelerated industrial development worldwide, and further elevated the international stature of the Crop Science Society of China in crop science research.