Organized by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) and the Italian National Research Council (CNR) and National Academy of Sciences, the programme of this scientific symposium covers the origin and evolution of durum wheat; genetic resources and germplasm enhancement; breeding strategies and tools; adaptation and sustainability; disease and pest resistance; technological and nutritional quality; and structural and functional genomics.