On July 21, the Belt and Road International Conference on Nutrition and Health with Food Derived from Medicinal Resources in 2024 and the First Conference on High Quality Development of Penthorum chinense Pursh Industry, jointly organized by the County Government of Gulin, Luzhou city, and the National Alliance for Innovation in the Food and Medicine Homology Industry, was held at the Beijing International Convention Center. During the conference, Gulin County was awarded the honorary title of "Hometown of Penthorum chinense Pursh," marking the widespread recognition of Gulin's unique status and significant contributions in the Penthorum chinense Pursh industry.

Licensing Site [Photo via the Publicity Department of CPC Gulin County Committee]

The conference, conducted in a hybrid online and offline format, gathered experts, scholars, entrepreneurs, and industry elites from around the world to discuss new trends, opportunities, and challenges in the food and medicine homology industry. It provided an international platform for showcasing and exchanging information about Penthorum chinense Pursh, enhancing its global visibility and influence, and promoting innovation and upgrading in the industry.

Notably, during the "Dialogue with Academicians and Experts on Nutrition and Health with Food Derived from Medicinal Resources," experts from the fields of research, education, and industry gathered together to discuss the future development of the food and medicine homology industry, with a particular focus on Penthorum chinense Pursh.

Penthorum chinense Pursh is a genuine medicinal material of Gulin, known for its properties of clearing heat and detoxifying, alleviating jaundice and dampness, promoting blood circulation and dispersing stasis, and reducing swelling and edema. It is a traditional remedy used by the Miao ethnic group for treating liver diseases. Currently, Gulin has planted approximately 20,000 mu of Penthorum chinense Pursh, with an annual output of 10,000 tons and an industry-wide production value of 1.5 billion yuan. By 2027, Gulin County aims to stabilize its total Chinese medicinal herb planting area at 150,000 mu, establish multiple standardized Penthorum chinense Pursh cultivation zones and modern agricultural parks for Chinese medicinal herbs, and develop a modern technological park for the ecological cultivation of authentic Chinese medicinal herbs in the Wumeng Mountain region. Additionally, the county aims to increase the number of large-scale Chinese medicinal herb processing enterprises to ten.(By Fan Yiling)