Have you ever thought that every meal we eat is influenced by a plant that is both ancient and powerful? That plant is wheat - one of the world's oldest cereal crops and one of the most important.

It has accompanied humanity for approximately 12,000 years, starting from the regions around the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the Mesopotamian region. Its presence has not only shaped our dietary culture but also impacted the global economic landscape.

So, how does wheat influence the world? Let's delve deeper into this ancient and vital cereal crop.

Wheat belongs to the Poaceae family, Triticum genus, and is an annual or perennial herbaceous plant.

Wheat, with its remarkable adaptability, is widely distributed worldwide, from inland to coastal regions, from basins to plateaus. It thrives in cool and moist climates and is mainly cultivated between 67 degrees north and 45 degrees south latitude, particularly in the Eurasian and North American continents, which collectively account for about 90% of the world's wheat cultivation.

Of the total global wheat acreage, about 75% is winter wheat, with the remaining being spring wheat. Spring wheat is mainly concentrated in countries like the United States and Canada, accounting for about 90% of the world's spring wheat acreage.

The primary wheat-producing regions are in Asia, covering approximately 45% of the world's wheat area, followed by Europe (25%), North America (15%), and Africa, Oceania, and South America each accounting for about 5%.

Currently, wheat production in over 50 countries exceeds 130 million tons, with 14 countries producing over 10 million tons.

Wheat is the world's largest staple food crop and a vital food source for human life, with approximately 35%-40% of the global population relying on it as their main grain. When wheat grains are ground into flour, they can be processed to make various foods such as bread, noodles, instant noodles, biscuits, pastries, and pizzas, among others.

Hard wheat flour can be used to make pasta and other foods. Green wheat (immature grains) can also be used for medicinal purposes, and wheatgrass juice has been a popular health food in recent years. Wheat bran, a by-product of wheat grain milling, can be used as high-quality feed for poultry and livestock, as well as raw materials for soy sauce, vinegar, maltose, etc.

Wheat grains are rich in carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and various beneficial mineral elements for the human body. Easy to process and resistant to storage and transportation, wheat is not only the main processing material for staple and non-staple foods in most countries but also the primary staple food reserve in many countries and the main grain variety in the global grain trade.

Asia and Europe are both major wheat-producing and consuming continents. Asia has insufficient production and needs to import, while Africa has low wheat production but relatively high consumption, requiring significant imports.

Although North America and Oceania's production is not very high, their consumption proportion is low, with most of their wheat used for export. South America's production and consumption are roughly balanced, and this supply-demand structure determines the global trade characteristics of wheat.

From ancient times to the present, wheat has been an indispensable part of human life. With the development of globalization, wheat cultivation, production, and trade connect regions worldwide, serving as a common food link for humanity.

In the future, with the advancement of technology and people's focus on food security and sustainability, wheat will continue to play a crucial role, providing diverse food choices and promoting the healthy development of the global grain industry.