The Congress consisted of three parts: the 11th International Symposium on Earthworm Ecology (ISEE), the 8th International Oligochaete Taxonomy Meeting (IOTM), and the 1st International Earthworm Industry Forum (IEIF). ISEE is a top-level symposium in the field of earthworm ecology worldwide, and IOTM is the top-level meeting in the field of oligochaete taxonomy. IEIF aims at convening the enterprises and elites in the earthworm industry to exchange ideas and to collaborate.

    More than 200 experts in earthworm study from over 30 countries such as U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Australia, India, Korea, and Brazil gathered in Shanghai, discussed the earthworm technology and development of earthworm industry with over 30 business representatives home and abroad.

    The Congress host Prof Qiu Jiangping started with introducing the guests present. Xue Hongwei, Dean of School of Agriculture and Biology at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, delivered a welcome speech on behalf of the host. Fu Guoqing, Vice Chairman of the Shanghai Science and Technology Committee, Wang Guozhong, Vice Chairman of Shanghai Municipal Agricultural Commission, Cai Youming, President of Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wang Tianhou, committee of Shanghai Municipal Zoological Society, also delivered speeches.

     These speeches acknowledged the significance of the Congress. Xue Hongwei briefly introduced the background and future of Chinese earthworm study, and hoped the related research in SJTU would achieve more. Fu Guoqing reviewed the study progress of earthworm in modern pharmacology and placed expectations on the earthworm industry. He also gave credit for the development of Chinese earthworm study, and showed encouragement on the study. Wang Guozhong made a thorough explanation of the relationship between earthworms and human, earthworms and crops, and earthworms and the environment etc. He talked about the positive effects of earthworms in the sustainable development of Chinese agriculture and environment, and showed his support for the industrialization of earthworm business. Cai Youming believed that Chinese earthworm scholars had an advantages in the field of pharmacy, yet the earthworm study in other fields were still below the international level. He gave credit for the significance of earthworms in environmental improvement and increasing famers’ income, and also placed expectations on earthworm’s increasingly important role in the sustainable development of Chinese agriculture and environment, hoping the Congress would achieve more in every aspects. Wang Tianhou acknowledged the significant role of earthworms in the ecosystem, and appreciated SJTU’s study results in earthworm research.

    Yin Ou, Director of Shanghai Municipal Grain Bureau and Vice Chairman of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, attended the Congress and delivered a speech. He regarded earthworms as a kind of critical soil fauna resource which contributed a lot in agriculture, environmental protection, and pharmacy etc. He also proposed the way to optimize government administration and to utilize the earthworm resources, so as to better serve the human society and economic development.

    The next part was the launch ceremony for the Chinese translation of senior professor Marcel Bouché’s book Des vers de terre et des hommes (Earthworm and Human). Marcel Bouché was the Honorary Chairman of the Congress. Des vers de terre et des hommes was the first book worldwide talking about the relationship between earthworms and human beings, which collected the essence in Bouché’s lifelong study on earthworms. The Chinese version of the book was translated by Prof Qiu Jiangping and Vice Prof Zhao Qi. It was introduced in the book how earthworms originated, evolved, and established their community, together with their relationship with the ecosystem, their seemingly negligible yet actually significant position in ecosystem, and the economic and intellectual enlightenment they brought to mankind.

The last part was the Signing Ceremony of Cooperation between Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Shanghai Natural History Museum. The two parts signed on the cooperation in the preservation of earthworm specimens and would cooperate further in the classification of earthworms.          

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Translated by Wang Dan