|
|
The 16th IFOAM Organic World Congress ‘Cultivate
the Future’ will take place in less than two months time from June 18 – June
20 and is based on the Principles of Organic Agriculture – Health, Ecology,
Fairness and Care.
The last day of the Organic World Congress, Friday June 20th, will deal with
important subjects such as organic markets and GMOs.
The organic markets sessions (mainstream, certification, short supply chains
and participatory guarantee) will start with a common plenary where the whole
breadth of organic marketing will be covered. Farmer John Peterson, maker of
the movie ‘The Real Dirt on Farmer John’, will share his experiences from his
own farm, which is community supported. Wolfgang Sachs from the Wuppertal Institute will talk about slow trade and fair
farming, whereas a representative Jan Kees Vis from Unilever will reveal the multinational’s stance
towards organic. Participants can later on choose to attend a meeting on
Short Supply Chains or rather get an overview of the work of the
International Task Force on Harmonization and Equivalence in Organic
Agriculture.
Genetically Modified Organisms, GMO’s, not allowed
in organic agriculture, stay subject to debate. The newest techniques and
their impacts will be shared as well as advocacy strategies against GMO’s and organic farmers’ daily practices in a world
where unfortunately GMO’s are grown. To make the
shift to the positive, the afternoon will deal with viable seed for organic
agriculture, an opportunity to exchange experiences from participatory plant
breeding projects and seed saving initiatives.
The conference will close with reflections from the plenary speakers on the
Principles of Organic Agriculture. Vandana Shiva
will give feedback on what she learned during the Congress on the Principle
of Ecology, and Tewolde Berhan
Gebre Egziabher will do
so for the Principle of Care. Frances Moore Lappé
and Howard Shapiro respectively will reflect upon the Principles of Fairness
and Health and share with the participants their findings of the Congress
that will inspire the participants to ‘Cultivate the Future’.
The Organizers, IFOAM and the Conzorzio
ModenaBio2008 expect at least 1500 participants for this unforgettable
experience. IFOAM’s President, Gerald A. Herrmann
states: ‘Our local partners have been elaborating a wonderful setting in Modena, culinary delights abound: fresh seasonal
specialties, traditional dishes and matured traditional balsamic vinegar and
Parmesan cheese are awaiting the visitors. With the experiences of the past
congresses, I have no doubt that your participation will be rewarding.’
The Principles of
Organic Agriculture
Registration: Link
to Registration Page
Press accreditation: ufficiostampa@agendanet.it
|