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02/22/2008
16 th IFOAM Organic World Congress - Program revealed at Biofach |
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At the occasion of Biofach 2008, 4 months before the Organic World
Congress, the program of the congress is presented to the public. From
June 16th to June 20th, Modena in Italy will be hosting the 16th IFOAM
Organic World Congress. Organized by the International Federation of
Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) and ModenaBio 2008 - an
association founded by the Province of Modena and the Italian
Association for Organic Agriculture (AIAB) of Emilia Romagna Region -
the Congress promises to offer a comprehensive and exciting program for
those interested in Organic Agriculture and more general in sustainable
answers to current global threats like climate change. |
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On the
location of this years’ conference the Agriculture and Food Minister of
Modena, Graziano Poggioli explained that “The Organic
World Congress will be outstanding, since Modena is a land of jewels:
architectural ones such as the Romanesque cathedral, the Ghirlandina
tower, and Piazza Grande, all of which have been declared UNESCO World
Heritage sites, and also well preserved medieval castles that will be
congress locations. Other jewels awaiting the participants are the
products of our local agriculture: Parmigiano-Reggiano; Prosciutto from
Modena; the Lambrusco wines Grasparossa, Sorbara, Salamino di Santa
Croce; Modena’s Traditional Balsamic Vinegar; as well as many other
specialty products like blackberries from the Apennine Mountains, pears
from the Emilia Region, cherries from Vignola; all world famous
products produced with organic farming methods by women and men capable
of both solidarity and hospitality.”
The congress program consists of two main tracks: the scientific research track, organized by the International Society of Organic Agriculture
Research (ISOFAR), and the system values track, organized in cooperation with many other organizations including relevant United Nations agencies.
Daniel Neuhoff from ISOFAR compared the submission for the scientific research track
with the First Scientific Conference of ISOFAR, which was held in the
frame of the Organic World Congress in Adelaide (South Australia) in
September 2005, by stating: “The submission of papers has more than
doubled resulting in total of 495 four-page papers that have gone
through a sophisticated review process. To meet the needs and interests
of the congress participants, the amount of oral presentations has been
limited to 200 and another 180 papers will be presented in guided
poster tours. Workshops will allow researchers and other organic
stakeholders to update their knowledge on specific topics and to
identify bottle necks and research needs.”
The system values track
deals with practices, innovations and experiences from farmers,
consumers, producers and activists. It will tackle hot issues like
climate change, gender, food security, genetically modified organisms
and government policies, just to name a few. Louise Luttikholt,
IFOAM’s Strategic Relations Manager and part of the Steering Program
Committee for the congress says: “If you want to be at the edge of
developments you need to participate in the workshops and discussions.”
Pre-conferences
and thematic conferences give the chance to go in-depth into subjects
like cosmetics, aquaculture and fruits. Paolo Foglia of ICEA, who is
organizing the Textiles pre-conference revealed that: "Already the
partnership built for this pre-conference is an incredible achievement
as practically all the major organic textile industry stakeholders are
involved, therewith promising a successful event that will become a
milestone in the
development of organic textiles"
Surrounded by fairs, tours,
festivals, arts and, of course, local traditional organic delicacies,
the program offers aspects for all senses. Paola Bonfreschi, director
of ModenaBio, explained how Modena is preparing to host OWC
participants: “A rich calendar of events in the evening and during the
weekend has already been organized (concerts, exhibitions, theatrical
performances) and the Market Festival (trade exhibition) will take
place from 20th to 22nd in the historical city centre allowing visitors
to buy organic products coming form different parts of the world. Over
20 tours are planned to allow the participants to discover Modena from
an “organic perspective”, getting to know how the Organic Principles
are applied in Emilia Romagna Region.”
Finally, Gerald A.
Herrmann, IFOAM President, expressed his confidence that the 2008
Organic World Congress is going to be unforgettable and a rewarding
experience: “Having heard at this
Press Conference only some excerpts of the whole program; knowing how
exciting this already is; adding the experiences from IFOAM conferences
in the past; I am thrilled and my organic heart beats faster as we come
closer to June 2008.”
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Sign up for the congress by visiting our websites www.modenabio2008.org and www.ifoam.org or by sending an e-mail to ifoam2008@provincia.modena.it |
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