Past Events

26-27 June 2007
Conference "Towards Future Challenges of Agricultural Research in Europe", Brussels

On 26-27 June 2007, the European Commission is holding a major Conference in Brussels on the future of European agriculture and its consequences for research. The Conference aims at debating research needs and developing a coherent European research agenda in order to enable agriculture to cope with a range of complex and interlinked challenges, such as rapidly increasing globalisation, energy shortages, climate change and unsustainable consumption of natural resources. The discussion will build on the results of a wide foresight process initiated by the Standing Committee on Agricultural Research (SCAR) aimed at identifying possible scenarios for European agriculture with a 20-year perspective. The Conference will bring together major European and worldwide actors/stakeholders from the fields of agriculture, food, forestry, aquaculture, rural development, consumer science/behaviour, economics, etc.

An individual request for registration is necessary.
Registration will be possible (on line) from 14 May.
Website

15-17 May 2007
EPOBIO 2nd international workshop : Products from plants – from crops and forests to zero-waste biorefineries, Eretria Village Hotel Resort and Conference Centre, near Athens, Greece

A bio-based economy is vital to deliver the sustainable development needed to underpin future societal needs and demands. The workshop will focus on the development of second and third generation biorefineries using zero-waste feedstocks, producing multiple products from a crop and providing new opportunities for biochemicals and biomaterials. EPOBIO is a Science to Support Policy project funded by the EC in Framework 6 and is entitled: ‘Realising the economic potential of sustainable resources – bioproducts from non-food crops’. The EPOBIO Consortium invites registration for the project’s second international workshop ‘Products from Plants: from crops and forests to zero-waste biorefineries’.

Website

3 and 4 May 2007
2^nd Welfare Quality® Stakeholder Conference : Assuring animal welfare: from societal concerns to implementation Berlin, Germany

Welfare Quality® is a European inter-disciplinary research project that addresses numerous issues related to safeguarding animal welfare in the food chain. This conference will examine and discuss the results generated during the second and third year of the research project Welfare Quality®: Integration of Animal Welfare in the Food Quality Chain, which is funded by the EU’s Sixth Research Framework Programme (FP6). The primary goals of this conference are to facilitate a dialogue about our results with all relevant stakeholders and to identify mutually beneficial activities. It will also provide an excellent opportunity for stakeholders to meet project partners and to gain insights into cutting edge animal welfare research.

Website

20 and 23 March 2007

3rd QLIF Congress, March 2007

The 3rd annual scientific congress of the QLIF project was exellently hosted by the University of Hohenheim during March 20 to 23, 2007.
The congress was organized in parallel with the 9th Scientific Conference on Organic Agriculture in the German speaking countries and in total more than 600 participants joined the organic conferences in Hohenheim.

During the congress about 50 presentations and posters were given by scientists from all seven subprojects in QLIF. In addition, scientists from other projects were invited and contributed to the programme. Proceedings from the QLIF congress are available: in print as free pdf online via Organic Eprints

/photos by www.qlif.org/


At the opening of the congress two of the main keynote presentations were given by Dr. Timothy Hall, DG Research, European Commission and professor Dr. Carlo Leifert, coordinator of the QLIF project.

Links to the presentation by Dr. Hall and the summary paper on the QLIF progress are available below.

The role of organic farming research in the context of an innovative and competitive European Bio-Economy
Dr. Timothy Hall, Head of Unit of E4 (Agriculture, Forestry, fisheries, Aquaculture), DG Research, European Commission
[Powerpoint presentation, pdf]

Improving the quality and safety of organic and low input foods and maximizing the benefits to consumers and producers
Summary paper by Urs Niggli (FiBL) and Carlo Leifert (University of Newcastle)

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7 December 2007
Expert Meeting on Jatropha, Brussels

The European Commission, DG Research, Directorate E (Biotechnologies, Agriculture, Food) organised on 7 December 2007 an expert meeting on prospects and research priorities of Jatropha curcas, a potential bio-energy crop.

The tropical shrub Jatropha curcas is an oil crop that raised interest in several tropical regions over the world. The oil from the seeds can be processed for different purposes from biodiesel production to fine chemicals or pharmaceuticals. The remaining press cake contains two different toxins. Before it can be used as animal feed detoxification is necessary. However, in the centre of origin, in Latin America less toxic varieties exist, which could be used in a breeding programme.

The plant is adapted to low rainfall conditions and is grown widely in small holder agriculture as hedgerow in agro-forestry or agro-pastoral systems, for example in the Sahel. Compared to other oil crops it seems to compete less with food crops. It has a potential to contribute to income generation in marginal areas. Therefore it could have fewer problems than other oil plants to be considered environmentally and socially sustainable.

However, the yield is low, the production labour intensive and the production costs are very high. Due to non-uniform ripening of the seeds they are hand-picked like coffee berries.

What about climate change mitigation? If Jatropha is grown in intensive agricultural systems with nitrogen fertilisation all advantages of a renewable energy source might be lost, like with other first generation bio-fuels. A recent study by the Nobel laureate Paul Crutzen shows that ethanol from maize or oil from rapeseed generate 0,9-1.7 times the climate impact of fossil diesel mainly due to losses of nitrous oxide.

Several Jatropha development projects had been started in the 80`ies. Very few seemed to have sustainable success. Some have been abandoned, like in Nicaragua.

Recently interest came back. In different parts of the world development projects started, like the "Daimler-project" in India, plantations by investment companies in Madagascar, village-based plantation in Cambodia linked to small-scale power-plants, plantations in Indonesia, plantings to control erosion in China and in the border region of Haiti and Dominican Republic.

The purpose of the expert meeting is to consider these developments and to discuss to what extend research could contribute to a sustainable development of Jatropha. Some research issues are probably already taken-up. We will ask the participants to take stock of existing and planned research projects, and to identify mid- to long-term research issues which could be taken-up eventually by the EU research framework programme. EU research projects need the cooperation of several partners. Therefore research questions which can be best addressed in a collaborative research endeavour are of specific interest.

The meeting was organised by:
Hans-Joerg Lutzeyer
Piero Venturi.

Additional Informations:

- Meeting Agenda
- Jatropha Meeting Report - (pdf)
- PDF Presentations (1, 2, 3, 4)
- Publications (PDF):

Agro Transformations

Assessment of lecitinactivity

Chemical composition and efect of heat

Chemical composition, toxic antimemetabolic...

Comparative evaluation of non-toxic...

Edible provenances of jatropha curcas

Effects of phorbol esters in carp

Lecitin activity in toxic and non-toxic ...

Nutritional studies on rats and fish...

Phorbol ester

Potential of J. Curcas seed meal as...

Shoot bud proliferation from axillary...

Studies on nutritive potential and toxic...

Past events :: Home page ::

30 January 2007
European collaboration for R&D and Innovation in the forest-based and wood industries. Find partners for your FP7 projects, Winterthur/Zürich, Switzerland
The aim of the international partnering meeting is to facilitate transnational collaboration between Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and R&D Institutions active in the field of forest-based and related industries and in particular the setup of FP7 project consortia.
Registration deadline: 21 JANUARY2007
Website

21 and 22 November 2006
First European Bioplastics Conference, Brussels, Belgium

The conference will highlight the progress made in the manufacturing, processing and marketing of bioplastics. It will examine the role of bioplastics in the development of a biobased economy with reduced dependency on fossil resources, and the required framework.
Website

9-11 November 2006
"Reorienting Agricultural Research to meet the Millennium Development Goals"
New Dehli, India

GFAR (Global Forum on Agricultural Research) Triennial Conference. About 400 participants representing National Agricultural Research Systems, Advanced Agricultural Resear success stories/interim (mid-term) results of projects from FP6/TP5.ch Institutes and Universities, the CGIAR, Non-government Organizations, Farmers' Organizations and the Private Sector are expected to attend the conference.
Website

7 November 2006
Conference on Community Animal Health (CAHP) Policy Strategy (2007-2013) - Towards an effective, affordable and socially acceptable animal health policy in the European Union Brussels, Belgium

Presentation of the CAHP evaluation report.

EU Animal Health Strategy (2007-2013)
Draft programme

19 and 20 October 2006
European Conference on Biorefinery Research
Helsinki, Finland

This conference organised by the European Commission with support of the Finnish Presidency aims to present the industrial perspectives of current and future biorefineries and to identify opportunities for and synergies among the European stakeholders.
Website

11 - 14 October 2006
Fifth edition of the Plant Genomics European Meetings
Venice, Italy

The Plant Genomics European Meetings are annual meetings on the subject of genomics in all its assets and sponsored by national Plant Genomics programmes in Europe and the European Research Area Network Plant Genomics.
Website

5 - 6 October 2006
Cloning In Public
Brussels, Belgium

A final, participatory workshop focusing on the technical, legal and ethical aspects of farm animal cloning.
Website

28-29 September 2006
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND THE FUTURE OF EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE: EURAGRI MEMBERS Conference XX
Roma, Italy

The conference considered the notion of sustainable development and agriculture in Europe and its implications for research and development over the next 20 to 30 years.
Website

26 September 2006
Croatia and the Western Balkan region - Perspectives for cooperation wirh the EU in the FP7 "Food, Agriculture and Biotechnology"
Zagreb, Croatia

Website

17 - 20 September 2006
57th Annual Meeting of the European Association for Animal Health
Antalya, Turkey

Theme of the meeting: "sustaining production systems to improve the livelihoods (health, well-being, wealth) of livestock farmers".
Website

11 - 14 June 2006
The First SAFE International Congress on Food Safety NUTRITION AND FOOD SAFETY - Evaluation of Benefits and Risks
Budapest, Hungary

Subjects including: health benefits of probiotics, the global concern of mycotoxins, behavioural effects of phytoestrogens, Modified Atmosphere (MA) food packaging, risk assessment of ransgenic foods, linolenic acid and retinal function, risk communication and more.
Website

15-16 June 206
SCAR meeting
Brussels, Belgium

Bi-annual plenary meeting.

30-31 May 2006
Odense
Joint Organic Congress 2006

In May 2006, researchers representing all aspects of European research in organic food and farming will present their work at a joint congress to be held in Denmark.
The Joint Organic Congress 2006 will combine public meeting to be held in EU supported projects into a joint congress in collaboration with the biannual Danish congress, which usually attracts more than 600 participants.
Among others the congress will examine which potentials research in organic food and farming can offer in regard to the development of agriculture and food production, rural development and environmental protection in the enlarged Europe.

Contact:
Claus Bo Andreasen, international communication manager at DARCOF and secretary for the programme committee
E-mail: Clausbo.Andreasen@agrsci.dk, phone: +45 8999 1035 or +45 4079 8032.

Website

28 May - 1 June 2006
Plant Dynamics: from Molecules to Ecosystems
Visegrád, Hungary

Third Conference of the European Plant Science Organisation (EPSO)

Website

28-30 May 2006
Informal Agriculture Council
Krems, Austria

Informal Agricultural Council focussed on research and innovation

Website

22-24 May 2006
Sofia, Bulgaria
Third Central European Congress on Food (CEFood 2006)

The programme of CEFood 2006 is structured around the following five main themes:

° Smart Technologies for Sustainable Food Production and Preservation
° Food Quality, Manufacturing and Preservation
° Continuous Traceability and Ubiquitous Food Chain Management
° Advances in Food Refrigeration and Cold Chain Logistics
° Improved Nutrition for Life, Health and Longevity

Website

9-13 May 2006
Florence
Aqua 2006

Conference organized by the European Aquaculture Society in collaboration with European Commission (DG Research and DG Fish).
Website

3-5 May 2006
IST-Africa 2006 Conference and Exhibition
CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa

Conference
IST-Africa 2006 takes place 3 - 5 May 2006 at the CSIR International Convention Centre Pretoria, South Africa. This is the first in a series of Annual Conferences supported by the European Commission, which will bring together delegates from commercial, government & research organisations across Africa and from Europe, to bridge the Digital Divide by sharing knowledge, experience, lessons learnt and good practice.
Website

3-4 May 2006
Brussels
Final Conference of the FP5 Thematic Network GL-PRO

The FP5 Thematic Network "European extension network for the development of grain legumes production in the EU" (GL-PRO) organises, in conjunction with the FP6 Integrated Project "Grain Legumes", a conference entitled "Grain legumes in European agriculture: impact and prospects". During this conference the results of the technical-economic and environmental analyses carried out by the
GL-PRO network will be disseminated. Different workshops will provide opportunity for exchanges among European scientists, field/supply chain/market experts and national/European decision makers for further assessments and discussions about the future of grain legumes in European agriculture.
Website

28 April 2006
Riga, Latvia
Meeting of Agro-Food Centres of Excellence in the New Member States, Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry

On the initiative of the European Commission, the coordinators of 10 Centres of Excellence (CoEs) active in the Agro-Food sector will meet at the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry in Riga on 28 April 2006.
More information

28 April 2006
Riga, Latvia
Meeting of Agro-Food Centres of Excellence in the New Member States, Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry

On the initiative of the European Commission, the coordinators of 10 Centres of Excellence (CoEs) active in the Agro-Food sector will meet at the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry in Riga on 28 April 2006.
Website

28 April 2006
Bologna, Italy
Final conference of the HEMPSYS project

Design, Development and Up-Scaling of a Sustainable Production System for HEMP Textiles: an Integrated Quality Systems Approach.
Brochure

25 April 2006
Pragua, Czech Republic
TRACE Conference

Conference organised in the context of the second annual meeting of the TRACE project
Website

4-6 April 2006
Vienna (Austria)
Coexistence

Conference organised by the Austrian Presidency on coexistence of conventional, organic and genetically modified agriculture.
Website

3-6 April 2006
Cambridge, United Kingdom
International Conference on Avian Influenza

Sixth edition of this international Conference, which for the first time will take place in Europe.
Website

3-5 April 2006
Göttingen
Integrated Pest Management in Oilseed-Rape

International Symposium. Final project meeting organised by British Crop Protection Council (BCPC) on behalf of the 5TH framework programme project MASTER.
Website

2-3 March 2006
WFD meets CAP -Opportunities for the future
Vienna, Austria

The Conference on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and Water Framework Directive (WFD) hosted under the EU presidency of Austria will provide a forum to discuss open questions on the linkage of CAP and WFD.
Website

2 March 2006
Paris
Launch of Animal Breeding TP

Launch of the technology platform on Sustainable Farm Animal Breeding and Reproduction (FABRE-TP). The European animal breeding industry is preparing a vision paper on future developments in the field of livestock breeding with a view to defining the research agenda over the coming years. The vision paper will be launched at the Salon d'Agriculture.
Website

15 February 2006
Brussels
EU Mercosur Agricultural Trade
Brussels Belgium

Discussion of research results and approaches together with EC policy departments
Website

14 February 2006
Mediterranean Agriculture Trade
Brussels, Belgium

Euro-Med agricultural trade liberalisation: a conference aiming at providing researchers of EU-funded projects with an opportunity to present their scientific results, and giving policy makers an opportunity to discuss future initiatives.
Web sites:
http://eumed-agpol.iamm.fr/
http://medfrol.maich.gr/pages/main
http://www.enarpri.org/index.htm

8-10 February 2006
Copenhagen
ISAFRUIT Kick-off meeting

International meeting
Official start of the IP ISAFRUIT “Increasing fruit consumption…”
Website

30 January - 1 February 2006
Evaluating Agri-Environmental Schemes
Wageningen, Netherlands,

Website

13-22 January 2006
Berlin
Grüne Woche 2006 - EU symposium on Agriculture Food & the Bio-economy: the future 7^th FP for R&TD for Europe

Conference and International exhibition
In the context of Grüne Woche RTD.E organises a conference in preparation of FP7. Conference will be opened by the Austrian Minister for Agriculture J. Pröll. 250-500 participants are expected.
Website

Grain Legumes Integrated Project (GLIP) Dissemination Event. Progress in grain legume research for EU Agriculture
Madrid, Spain, 27 october 2005
Web site: http://www.grainlegumes.com/default.asp?id_biblio=392

XIX Euragri Members Conference, "Anticipating the future: Knowledge based policy for European Agriculture"
Central Science Laboratory, Sand Hutton, York, United Kingdom, 21-23 September 2005

The annual EURAGRI conference deals with challenges to the public agricultural research systems in Europe. This year the focus was on “Anticipating the future: Knowledge based policy for European agriculture”.
Website: http://euragri.csl.gov.uk/index.cfm

Renewable biological materials for non-food use. The impact of EU Research (1998 - 2004)
Brussels, 28th June 2005

A workshop to discuss the non-food research sector was held in Brussels on June 28th 2005. Hosted by the European Commission’s Research DG, this workshop was the follow up of a technical review of 31 “non-food” research projects funded under the Life Sciences theme of the 5th EU Framework Programme. The workshop allowed the presentation of a report of the review findings, along with short summaries of the final project results of 8 selected projects. The objective was firstly to identify future needs in the non-food research sector and the preparation of inputs to the seventh framework programme; secondly to provide clear recommendations which will allow funding in promising topics which will help both EU industrial competitiveness and rural development.

Research on replacements for the routine use of antimicrobials in animal feeds
Brussels, 15th June 2005

Researchers, representatives from the farming and food organisations and personnel from the European Commission met in Brussels on 15 June 2005 to discuss EU funded research work on replacements for antimicrobials in animal feeds. The routine use of antimicrobials for prophylaxis and as growth promoters will be banned throughout the EU from January 2006. Various alternatives can be foreseen to reduce the use of these substances, for example changing farming practices or using alternative materials that impact on gastric physiology. All have advantages and disadvantages.
A series of presentations from different projects and from different stakeholders were made at the meeting with the aim of reviewing current and recent projects in the field and acting as a discussion forum on future priorities. A summary of the meeting, which presents the key issues discussed, is available here, as are the different presentations made at the meeting.

Kick off Meeting: GM and non-GM supply chains, their CO-EXistence and TRAceability
06 June 2005, Paris, France
INRA Press Release
Website: http://www.coextra.org

Online consultation: draft report on animal science research organisations in the New Member States and the Candidate Countries
The consultation was open until 15 May.

The CEC ANIMAL SCIENCE EU funded project cataloguing animal science research capacities and activities in the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) has published an initial report on its findings, and calls for feedback from the scientific community.
The report aims at presenting the main players of animal science research in the New Member States and the Candidate Countries. The countries addressed by the survey are: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Turkey.
Information and results about the consultation will be presented at a European information and partnering event on May 31st, Paris. An update of the report will then be published by the end of 2005.
Web Site: http://www.animal-science.net

Workshop: EU funded research in bluetongue
Brussels, 10 -11 March 2005

Hosted by the European Commission’s Research DG. Bluetongue is a major disease of small ruminants transmitted by a biting vector. Large ruminants and game can also be affected. Bluetongue is spreading in southern Europe and also reaching unprecedented northern latitudes due to climate change. The workshop allowed the review of results obtained by three projects funded under the EU-Fifth Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development. Major advancements have been made in the development of new vaccines, diagnosis, epidemiology, risk assessment and the biology and distribution of the vector. Experiences in the Member States recently affected by the disease, as well as in several third countries, were also presented. New areas of future research were identified. The workshop brought together scientists from the EU and third countries, Commission services, decision makers and other interested parties.
- Summary
- Participants
- Programme
Useful Links:
Health & Consumer Protection DG Web Site
European Food Safety Authority Web Site

US-EC Cooperation in Biobased Product Research
March 1-2, 2005, Beltsville, Maryland, USA

The US-EC Biobased Products Steering Committee sponsored a meeting with European and U.S. specialists from industry, academia, and government on March 1-2, 2005, at the Head Quarters of the Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture . The purpose of the meeting was to: (1) evaluate the Steering Committee’s Strategy Paper of a new vision for US-EU collaboration in agricultural and industrial biotechnology; (2) evaluate the two identified flagship research projects and identify new ones if relevant; and to (3) determine the next steps towards implementation. The discussions held during this meeting resulted in unanimous support to seek approval from the US-EC Biotechnology Taskforce for the strategic vision.
Download: Executive summary ( 154 Kb)

EURAGRI Citizens Conference
Brussels, Belgium, 3-4 February 2005

Under the slogan 'Science for Society - Science with Society', this conference will explore ways of adapting the knowledge base for the optimal functioning of the food-health-agriculture triangle. It seeks to demonstrate that society needs to be engaged in order to strike a balance between the management of rural areas, food production, nutrition and human health. It will bring together stakeholders from the agri-food industry, farmers, scientists, representatives of concerned civil society organizations and policy-makers.
- Contact
- Website
- Janez Potočnik, Member of European Commission: address at the opening of the EURAGRI conference, Science for Society – Science with Society ( 58 kB)
- Summary of EURAGRI conference, Brussels, 3-4 February 2005 ( 1.2 MB)
- Summary of EURAGRI conference, Athens, 8-9 May 2003 ( 827 KB)

US-EC Workshop on Innovative Technologies for Increasing Food Safety along the Fork-to-Farm Chain
January 24 - 25 2005, Brussels, Belgium

Assuring food safety relies on adequate sourcing of the materials or food components, appropriate processing, safe storage and transport, and reliable monitoring and detection of possible contaminants and pathogens. In the context of the fork-to-farm approach, the concept of food traceability has in recent years been widened to include not only the origin and processing history of food and its ingredients along the chain, but also the identification and prioritisation of the chain links in terms of risk and the tracing back to the point of entry, origin and fate of contaminants and pathogens once they have been detected at a given point in the chain.

First annual congress of the QualityLowInputFood EU funded Integrated Project
January 6 - 9 2005, Newcastle, UK

The international congress on Organic Farming, Food Quality and Human Health was held January 6 - 9 2005 at Newcastle, UK.
The conference explored the neglected relationship between public health and the way we farm. Distinguished speakers from research institutions throughout Europe presented new research into how methods of production influence the levels of harmful pathogens and beneficial nutrients in our food. Policy makers debated how the relatively small amounts of public funds invested in agriculture could be used to promote positive health and help control the huge sums consumed by health care budgets. Farmers, growers, processors and academics shared their insights into how methods of husbandry, feeding and fertility management could be used to improve crop and livestock health and enhance the nutritional profile of organic foods.
- Speech of Mr. Janez POTOCNIK, European Commissioner for Science and Research, The importance of research into organic and low-input food production, Newcastle, 07 January 2005
- Entire Programme

European Technology Platform for Global Animal Health - Vision 2015

A "European Technology Platform for Global Animal Health" was launched on 16 December 2004 in Brussels. The platform led by industry brings together the veterinary pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology companies, livestock producers, research institutions, universities, regulatory authorities and the financial world. It is supported by Development Commissioner Louis Michel, Science and Research Commissioner Janez Potocnik and Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou. The initiative is being set up to deliver new or improved tools, in particular vaccines and diagnostics, for the control and prevention of major animal diseases both in the developing world and in Europe.
- Download: Vision 2015 - European Technology Platform for Global Animal Health ( 4.16 MB)
- Press Release: 16/12/2004 IP/04/1499 Technology Platform for Global Animal Health launched today
- Participants list ( 155 KB)
- First Stakeholder Meeting , 24 February 2005 (Minutes) ( 84 KB)
- First Interim Board Meeting, 17 May 2005 (Minutes) ( 244 KB)

Second seminar on Organic Food and Farming research in Europe
Brussels, Belgium, 26 November 2004

A seminar to discuss ‘Organic Food and Farming research in Europe’ was held in Brussels on November 26th 2004. Hosted by the European Commission’s Research DG, this seminar was the follow up of a first event that took place in September 2002. The second seminar brought together national representatives, scientists and policy-makers, from across the continent. The objective was to assess the current situation of Organic Food and Farming research in Europe and to identify and recommend areas for improved transnational cooperation.

Seminar on EU-Funded Pesticide related Research at Crop Science & Technology 2004
Glasgow, UK, 1- 3 November 2004

EU-Funded Pesticide related Research will be presented at the Crop Science & Technology 2004 seminar organised by the BCPC (formerly known as the British Crop Protection Council) in November.

Based on a series of six themed seminars, this event will focus on the most challenging developments under the banner of crop science and technology, including food, sustainable water, agriculture as well as crop production and protection.

Trans-European research initiatives in plant health, crop protection, pesticide and related genomics, as well as biotechnology – all supported under the EU-funded Fifth and Sixth Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development – will be discussed in the framework of a special cross-theme seminar.

Participants are kindly invited to visit the European Commission stand (N° 42) within the BCPC Exhibition where related EU-funded projects will be on display. For more details on the event visit http://www.bcpc.org/Seminars2004/.

Delegates can register for this seminar online and the poster section is still open for submissions!

International Fresenius Conference "GM Crops and Foods"
Cologne/Germany
28-29 October 2004

The conference will focus on co-existence, labelling, traceability and economic impacts. The programme includes 17 renowned experts who will present their perspectives, e.g. on the current global status of GM crops and economic impacts, the European Community policy on genetically modified food and feed, cultivation of GM maize in the context of co-existence, farm level impacts e.g. in Spain and Romania, technical aspects of labelling and traceability.
Download: Conference Programme ( 114K)

Integrating Safety and Nutrition Research along the Food Chain : the New Challenge
Conference, Lille, France
27-29 October 2004

The aim of the Conference  is to review the results obtained during the Fifth and the beginning of the Sixth Framework Programme in the field of Food Quality and Safety. The main objective of this review is to contribute to the preparation of the next call for proposals of the Sixth Framework Programme and to provide recommendations for the building up of the Seventh. Download the conference programme ( 1.3 MB)

Websites:
http://www.ssha.asso.fr 
http://www.lille.inra.fr
Download:Intermediate report of the parallel sessions

 

Forum: Second FAO/WHO Global Forum of Food Safety Regulators, Bangkok, Thailand,
12-14 October 2004
A forum dedicated to sharing experiences in management of food safety

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) will jointly convene a Second Global Forum of Food Safety Regulators (GF-2) in Bangkok, Thailand, from 12 to 14 October 2004, on the theme of "Building Effective Food Safety Systems".

The Global Fora of Food Safety Regulators provide the opportunity for food safety regulators from all regions of the world to meet together to consider, discuss and share experiences on food safety issues that are of concern to everyone. As for the First Global Forum, the Second Global Forum, (GF-2) will not make any recommendation, nor will it arrive at any specific statement on food safety issues. The outcome of this FAO/WHO Global Forum will be provided in the Proceedings of the meeting.

Thinking beyond tomorrow - a safe and nutritious food chain for the consumer
Conference, Dublin, Ireland
17-18 June 2004

The global consumer demand for high quality foods that are fresh tasting, safe and nutritive has created pressure for the development of new and improved production and processing technologies. This conference will focus on a multidisciplinary approach, identifying key innovative technologies along the food chain, while at the same time reassuring the consumer of their safety... more

Overcoming barriers to conversion to organic farming in the European Union through markets for conversion products
Discussion Workshop, Brussels
10.00 am to 1.00 pm, Thursday 11 March 2004

Research suggests that the decision to convert to organic farming is highly dependent on both financial incentives and perceptions of the market for organic products. A particular problem is the conversion period during which yields decline, as agro-chemical use is withdrawn, but premium prices are not realised. This period acts as a constraint to conversion and it is acknowledged that mechanisms are needed to overcome this. Currently, this comes from aid payments but there may be potential for new market-based mechanisms, e.g., the marketing of conversion-grade products... more

EU funded research in foot and mouth disease and classical swine fever
Workshop, Brussels
22-23 January 2004

The frequent outbreaks of transmissible diseases like foot and mouth disease (FMD), classical swine fever (CSF) and avian influenza (bird flu) have caused vevastating economic losses in the past years. Researchers, policy makers and stakeholders from all over the world gathered in Brussels to assess ongoing research activities funded by the EU in the context of these outbreaks of epizootic diseases, ethical questions and new EU legislation in this field.

Foot and mouth and Swine Fever Diagnostics
European Commission, Brussels, Belgium
Brussels –22-23 January 2004

Plant Genomics – Sustainable Agriculture and Food quality
European Commission, Brussels, Belgium (by invitation only)
November 27 2003
Download publication: Plant Genomics and Biotechnology - for sustainable and competitive agriculture (PDF 1850 KB)

Rural Development
European Commission, Brussels, Belgium (by invitation only)
November 18 2003
Download publication: Rural Development - The impact of EU Research (1998 - 2004)

25^th World Congress and Exhibition of the International Society for Fat Research (ISF)
The Research and Development Challenge: How to improve uses of oils and fats
Bordeaux, France
12-15 October 2003
http://www.isfnet.org/congress
Find out about the latest fats and oils research at this year’s World Congress of the International Society for Fat Research. Hosted by AFECG (Association Francaise pour l’Etude des Corps Gras) and Eur Fed Lipid (the European Federation for the Science and Technology of Lipids).

Management and Technology Applications to Empower Agriculture and Agro-Food Systems
Turin, Italy
23-24 September 2003
http://www.agraria.unito.it/dip/deiafa/ciosta.htm
This meeting will deal with a range of issues including world science and management for agriculture, forestry and landscaping, farm, forestry and agro-food logistics, management for sustainable and organic farming, and water management in sustainable agriculture.

Genomic Research in Livestock – What does it offer?
European Commission, Brussels, Belgium
September 2003
Workshop report

Aquaculture Europe 2003: Beyond Monoculture
Trondheim, Norway
8-12 August 2003
http://www.easonline.org/agenda/
en/AquaEuro2003/default.asp
A five-day conference organised by the European Aquaculture Society in collaboration with the Nor-Fishing Foundation. Now in its fifth year, this event focuses on the issues surrounding the development of new multitrophic systems and is aimed at academics, farmers, suppliers, buyers, distributors, managers and regulators.

Quality in Chains: An Integrated View on Fruit and Vegetable Quality
Wageningen, the Netherlands
6-9 July 2003
http://www.ato.wageningen-ur.nl/quic/start.htm
This international conference will enhance and emphasise the importance of integrating quality aspects throughout the entire fruit and vegetable supply chain. It will address a number of quality-related questions, such as ‘what is quality and what are quality aspects throughout the supply chain?’, ‘How can we model quality and quality aspects relevant for consumer, provider and producer?’, ‘How is quality affected by the way we handle products in the chain?’, and ‘what are the opportunities for manipulating and monitoring quality and quality aspects in the supply chain?’

A Practical Seminar on Agricultural Policy in Europe
London, United Kingdom
2-3 July 2003
http://www.agra-net.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?
pagename=agra/showEvent&id=20001011850
Now in its 16th year, this two-day seminar aims to give participants a ‘hands-on’ introduction to the Common Agricultural Policy and commodity regimes. Emphasis is placed on explaining in clear and non-technical language how the policy works in practice. Important recent developments and current problems will be accessed, including the factors driving the current mid-term review initiative.

Symposium on Forest Ecosystem and Landscape Research
Tours, France
25-27 June 2003
http://www.efi.fi/events/2003/Forest_ecosystem/
This event aims to identify the scientific priorities for forest ecosystem and landscape research within the context of sustainability, and to discuss the readiness of the forest research community to address these scientific priorities. The following areas will be highlighted during the symposium: Biogeochemical cycling, biodiversity and forest management, landscape ecology, and socio-economics.

Agricultural Policy Reform and the WTO: where are we heading?
Capri, Italy
24-26 June 2003
http://www.ecostat.unical.it/
2003agtradeconf/default.htm
Organised by the University of Calabria, this international workshop looks at global agricultural trade issues. The programme is made up of sessions on agricultural development, food security and trade; the three pillars of the WTO negotiations and agriculture; the beneficiaries of freer trade; and the future of international trade relations. The latest programme includes speakers from the United States, Italy, France, Canada, Belgium, Australia and Denmark.

First International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Symposium on Fish Behaviour in Exploited Ecosystems
Bergen, Norway
23-26 June 2003
http://www.imr.no/fishbehave/
The purpose of this symposium is to integrate the scientific knowledge of fishery scientists, behavioural ecologists and mathematical modellers into a multidisciplinary approach to study fish behaviour in exploited ecosystems.

European Conference on Precision Agriculture (4^th ECPA)
European Conference on Precision Livestock Farming (1^st ECPLF)
Berlin, Germany
15-19 June 2003
http://www.ecpa-berlin.org/
index.php?Menue=General
The aim of the 4^th ECPA is to present and discuss the latest R&D in precision agriculture. The 1^st ECPLF is organised in parallel to analyse the state of precision livestock farming components and their integration from the perspectives of science and application. Both events will try to identify relevant scientific problems, future R&D priorities, standardisation requirements and suitable systems for technology transfer into practical farming.

Vertical Markets and Co-operative Hierarchies: the Role of Co-operatives in the International Agri-Food Industry
Bad Herrenalb, Germany
12-16 June 2003
http://www.esf.org/esf_euresco_conference.php? language=0&domain=4&conference=171&meeting=1
This four-day event focuses on the new challenges and opportunities facing agri-food co-operatives in Europe and internationally. Expert speakers will highlight the latest developments in the field of industrial economics and organisation theory.

3^rd Nizo Dairy Conference: the Dynamics of Texture
Papendal, the Netherlands
11-13 June 2003
http://www.nizodairyconf.com
This conference aims to present the most recent developments in dairy technology, in particular the relationship between food, texture, taste and new process technologies. It will gather together scientists and technologists from the dairy and food industries for a discussion on the latest developments in food texture taste and new and advanced process technologies.

Green Week Conference and Exhibition
Brussels, Belgium
2-6 June 2003
/environment/greenweek/
Now in its third year, the European Commission’s Green Week 2003 will focus on the themes of sustainable consumption and production, renewable energy and water.

Dietary Fibre 2003
Noordwijkerhout, the Netherlands
18-21 May 2003
http://www.bastiaanse-communication.com
This event is a follow-up the Dietary Fibre Conference held in Dublin in 2000. It will focus on the latest developments in the dietary fibre industry, integrating basic nutritional science with food technology product development, analysis and legal aspects. Conference organisers say the meeting with provide state-of-the-art insights into the role of dietary fibre in health eating, combating major diseases and in promoting the well being of animals.

Asturforesta 2003
Tineo, Spain
15-17 May 2003
http://www.asturforesta.com
Organised by the Energy Foundation of Asturias in Spain, this event will be of major interest to anyone working in the forestry industry – particularly those based in the Iberian Peninsula. Speakers from both public institutions and private enterprises will brief delegates on the latest development in the field. Over 15,000 forestry professionals and 100 exhibitors are expected to attend. The entire forest production chain will be represented during the three-day event and topics up for discussion include sustainable forestry through the promotion of biomass, new energy crops, forestry certification and waste energy valorisation.

Post Weaning Multi-systemic Wasting Syndrome
European Commission, Brussels, Belgium (by invitation only)
15 May 2003

2^nd Forest Engineering Conference
Växjö, Sweden
12-15 May 2003
http://www.skogforsk.se/fec/
This event is aimed at forestry practitioners, scientists and developers. It will present and discuss the state-of-the-art in both practice and R&D within a variety of disciplines related to forest operations. There are four main topics up for discussion: techniques and methods, logistics, raw material utilisation, and organisational development.

18^th meeting of the European Society for Animal Cell Technology (ESACT)
Granada, Spain
11-14 May 2003
http://www.esact.org/esact2003/index.htm
ESACT brings together scientists, engineers and other specialists working with animal cells. This four-day meeting focuses on the theme ‘Animal Cell Technology Meets Genomics’ and will provide delegates with an overview of the latest developments in animal cell technology, both at basic and applied levels. Particular attention will be paid to the impact of genomics technologies in ACT.

Post-Versailles: Future Agricultural Research Agenda for Europe
Athens, Greece
8-9 May 2003
http://www.euragri.org
This two-day seminar is organised by the National Agricultural Research Foundation (NAGREF) in the framework of EURAGRI and is co-sponsored by the Greek Ministry of Agriculture. It follows up on a series of events looking at the future of agricultural research in Europe and is aimed at the European science community, politicians at European, national and regional level, and other key stakeholders.

Alternatives to animal testing
European Parliament, Brussels, Belgium
7 May 2003
http://www.allchemeseminars.org
This one-day event is organised by Dutch MEP Bob van den Bos. Keynote speaker Professor Coenraad Hendriksen from the Netherlands Centre for Alternatives for Animal Use at Utrecht University will give an overview of the current situation in animal testing alternatives and will provide examples of successful alternative approaches.

55^th International Symposium on Crop Protection
Ghent, Belgium
6 May 2003
http://allserv.rug.ac.be/~hvanbost/symposium/
This event, organised and hosted by the Faculty of Agriculture and Applied Biological Science at the University of Ghent, will focus on new developments in all aspects of crop protection. It includes sessions on agricultural entomology, nematology and acarology; phytopathology; herbology; biological and integrated control of pests, diseases and weeds; pesticide residues, toxicology and ecotoxicology; and application technology.

Universities Federation for Animal Welfare Symposium 2003
Science in the Service of Animal Welfare
Edinburgh, Scotland
2-4 April 2003
http://www.ufaw.org.uk/
The symposium aims to bring together leading authorities from around the world for a discussion on the science of welfare assessment, the use of science in ethical decisions, and to promote animal welfare and public understanding of welfare standards. The event focuses on stimulating discussion with a view to identifying future priorities for research, education and practical/policy developments.

6^th International Conference on Construction, Technology and Environment in Livestock Farming
Vechta, Germany
25-27 March 2003
http://www.int-conf-vechta2003.uni-goettingen.de/
This conference will present the latest scientific results on technical and environmental development in livestock farming and biosystems. Expert speakers will provide their perspectives on future directions in sustainable animal production.

11^th Annual Agrogene Seminar
Paris, France
27-28 February 2003
http://www.seminar.agrogene.com/seminar/Sem2003.htm
This year’s annual gathering will focus on the development and application of new genotyping technologies applicable to molecular medicine, plant breeding and the identification and traceability of plant and animal products. The programme includes 18 renowned experts who will present their perspectives on high-throughput genotyping.

Evolutionary Ecology of the Pre-zygotic stage in Animals and Plants
Monte Veritá, Ascona, Switzerland
16-21 February 2003
http://www.unizh.ch/uwinst/MonteVerita/ascona.html
This international workshop brings together zoologists and botanists for a discussion on different aspects of reproductive biology, for example, pollen and sperm competition. It will provide a forum for experts to exchange ideas, highlight common ground and explore new directions.

5^th International Meeting of the Noordwijk Food Safety & HACCP Forum
Noordwijk aan Zee, the Netherlands
9-10 December 2002
http://www.bastiaanse-communication.com/4/4.html
Greater openness about food safety issues is required if consumer confidence is to be re-established. The need for greater transparency at all levels of the food chain was the thread running through this conference.

Forest Research and the Sixth Framework Programme - Challenges and Opportunities
Paris, France
25 November 2002
http://www.efi.fi/events/2002/Forest_research_in_6FP/
mirja.kokkonen@efi.fi
The seminar charted forest and forest product related research needs in the light of the 6th Framework Programme and the European Research Area (ERA). It explored the EU call for expressions of interest as well as existing research capacities and networks in Europe in forest and forest product related research.

European Research 2002
The European Research Area and the Framework Programme
Brussels, Belgium
11-12-13 November 2002
/research/
conferences/2002/index_en.html
Information about the themes of this major conference – which launched the European Commission’s Sixth Framework Programme for research – is available via the above link.

EUAGRI – Science for Society, Science with Society
Brussels, Belgium
14-15 October
/research/
agriculture/events/citizens.html
The changing attitude of European citizens to research into food and agriculture was the backdrop to this major conference. Co-sponsored by the European Commission, it addressed consumers’ concerns about food quality and safety, and set out a number of proposals to enable the sector to better respond to society’s needs.

Organic farming in Europe
Brussels, Belgium
24-25 September 2002
Seminar: Organic farming research in Europe
Hosted by the European Commission’s Research DG, the seminar brought together scientists and policy-makers from across the continent to discuss research relating to organic farming. Full details and background documents are available through the above link.

Seminar on EC supported research in farm animal welfare: current work and future directions
Brussels, Belgium
23 April 2002
Seminar report