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Climate in focus at global gathering of wheat experts
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The 3rd International Wheat Congress 2024 (IWC 2024) brought together over 950 delegates from 52 countries to share research insights and strategies aimed at solving global wheat production's most pressing challenges.
The five-day Congress – hosted by Murdoch University – featured 58 speakers, 35 panellists, 134 workshop presenters, and over 380 poster presentations from members of the global wheat community, providing insights across the entirety of the wheat value chain.
From genomics and pre-breeding to end-use quality and trade, delegates heard about research that can increase climate adaption, increase disease and pest resilience, enhance global food security, improve sustainability in agriculture and deliver improved farmer profitability.
Opening Insights
To commence the Inaugural Session, Congress Chair Prof. Rajeev Varshney, urged delegates to think beyond just research and to strive for tangible results, stating that, "This congress is not just a meeting of minds; it's a catalyst for action."
While welcoming the delegates to the Congress and to Western Australia, Murdoch University Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Andrew Deeks, outlined the University’s historic, 50-year connection to agricultural science and its continued commitment to advancing research approaches, including wheat.
Up next was the Director General of the Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development, Heather Brayford, who provided Delegates with WA-specific insights and the challenges facing local farmers such as producing “more grain with less rain.”
Nigel Hart, MD of the Grains Research Development & Corporation, then provided delegates with an overview of Australia’s position in the global wheat market, highlighting Australian grain growers' strengths in terms of productivity whilst facing challenges such as rising costs and market access.
Adding to Mr Hart’s overview of grain research in Australia was CEO of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Prof Wendy Umberger, who explained Australia’s role in improving the region’s agricultural productivity and the impact improving productivity has on reducing poverty and addressing global food security.
International perspectives came from Dr. Bram Govaerts, Director General of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, who showcased the power of opening borders for science, explaining that, "In the last decade, collaborative efforts in wheat breeding have led to the release of over 300 wheat varieties in more than 27 countries."
Prof Peter Langridge, Chair of the Scientific Board of the Wheat Initiative, Germany, wrapped up the session by giving an overview of the Wheat Initiative’s key programs and discussed why equitable access to new research approaches – particularly for researchers in the Global South - is essential in enhancing global wheat production.
Key Focus Areas
Over the next four days, the Congress hosted 10 plenary sessions covering a diverse range of topics. From climate-smart wheat research to advancements in wheat quality, end-use processing and value addition, delegates were exposed to industry-shaping research approaches that will be essential in solving the challenges related to climate change, improving wheat yield and enhancing sustainable wheat production.
Outside of research-focused presentations, delegates received unique insights from across the wheat value chain, with international breeding organisations and trade organisations presenting their perspectives on the global wheat market.
Discussions on reducing regulatory barriers, shifts in consumer preferences and new and emerging market opportunities delivered a bird's-eye view of the global wheat market and highlighted consumer-focused translational research opportunities.
Of particular note was the international wheat community's eagerness to collaborate; from multinational research initiatives to grassroots farmer-scientist partnerships, delegates saw countless examples of how working together can amplify the global impact of their research.
“We heard about research that can address world hunger, adapt to ensure changing climate and ensure we forge a path towards a better, more sustainable future,” Professor Varshney said.
"We learnt about work being done to improve nutritional outcomes, eliminate regulatory red tape, limit our reliance on pesticides, and facilitate fair and equitable global trade.
“However, the most important takeaway is that the challenges facing global production are too great for any single entity to solve alone. But through our collective efforts, in our sharing of knowledge, and our pooling of resources, we can drive innovation and progress in the wheat industry.”
Pro Vice-Chancellor and Director of the Food Futures Institute, Professor Peter Davies thanked delegates for their contributions to IWC’s success.
“To have 950 scientists who are at the forefront of wheat research and policy come together to deliberate some of society’s biggest challenges has been incredible," he said.
“It was an immense privilege to host an event of this scale and to demonstrate that Murdoch University and other institutions in Western Australia are at the forefront of advancing wheat research and production.”
In the closing session of the Congress, Professor Varshney was elected as the Chair of the International Organising Committee for the 4th International Wheat Congress, which will be held in Bologna, Italy in 2026.
Learn more about the important work of the Food Futures Institute.