Upcoming events around the world http://www.agriculturesnetwork.org An overview of conferences and other activities on sustainable agriculture. daily 1 2010-12-23T15:12:48Z DesertLand conference http://www.agriculturesnetwork.org/get-involved/events/events-2013/desertland The Conference on Desertification and Land Degradation 2013 (DesertLand) will act as a platform and a catwalk for showing actions that have been taken and projects undertaken since RIO 1992 (RIO+21) for combating desertification and land degradation! Logo: DesertLand conferenceThe 1st Conference on Desertification and Land Degradation will take place on the 17th and 18th of June 2013.

The Desertland Conference brings together research institutions, NGO's and corporations that help cope with the problems and find appropriate solutions. Organizers: Gent BC, UNESCO Chair on Eremology, Ghent University.

Main Topics

  • Desertification
  • Water
  • Land degradation
  • Land Management
]]> No publisher webmaster desertification 2013-03-28T23:00:00Z Event Cracking the Nut 13 http://www.agriculturesnetwork.org/get-involved/events/events-2013/cracking-the-nut-13 Cracking the Nut (Sustainable Sourcing for Agricultural Supply Chains) is a global conference for multinational companies, investors, and development practitioners, bringing together private and public institutions to increase collaboration and investment in sustainable rural and agricultural markets. Logo: Cracking the nut 2013Sustainable sourcing for agricultural supply chains

Cracking the Nut 2013 will give a look into the successes and challenges involved in global supply chains. As a private sector-led discussion, the conference will highlight best practices for sustainable sourcing to help participating companies, along with development and finance organisations, to align their initiatives in a way that leverages resources for increasing social impact. The conference will also feature a panel session where leading impact investors will go head to head with agricultural entrepreneurs to provide insight into how they assess real investment opportunities aligned with sustainable sourcing.

The Conference will showcase competitively selected best practices through three focused themes:

  • Ensuring Food Safety and Sustainability
  • Facilitating Traceability and Certification
  • Creatively Financing Supply Chains
]]> No publisher webmaster market 2013-01-19T23:07:15Z Event Agroecology for sustainable food systems in Europe: A transformative agenda http://www.agriculturesnetwork.org/get-involved/events/events-2013/agroecology-for-sustainable-food-systems-in-europe-a-transformative-agenda This conference will identify key elements in policies, research, and social processes required for the spread of agroecological models of production, towards a fundamental transformation of the agro-food system in Europe. What needs to change? How do we overcome roadblocks on the way towards more sustainable agriculture and food systems? Many far-reaching changes will have to occur simultaneously and be mutually supporting to ensure a coherent approach for transformation towards sustainable and equitable agricultural and food systems in Europe. The changes required are perhaps greater than those involved in Europe’s post-WWII paradigm shift for agro-food systems.

Throughout the global South, agroecology has been linked with food sovereignty - ‘the right of each nation to maintain and develop its own capacity to produce its basic foods respecting cultural and productive diversity’. This linkage has been extended to Europe, sometimes at a regional level.

Agroecology needs societal change at three immediately related levels - agronomic practices, scientific knowledge and citizens’ support networks.

Conference participants will identify policies and research priorities for transformation towards agroecologically-based food systems in Europe.

Key conference topics and questions

  • Towards sustainable models of agricultural production
  • Equitable rights of access to land and other natural resources
  • A shift to re-localised food systems based on circular economy models
  • Rethinking economics, trade and markets for agroecology and food security/sovereignty
  • Transforming research and science policies
]]> No publisher webmaster agroecology europe 2013-04-02T09:37:21Z Event 4rd International Summer School of Agroecology http://www.agriculturesnetwork.org/get-involved/events/events-2013/4rd-international-summer-school-of-agroecology The International Summer School of Agroecology offers attendees from different communities, who define themselves as scholars and/or practitioners of agroecology, an opportunity to meet and learn from each other. Logo: ISSAE 2013The International Summer School of Agroecology (ISSAE) specific objective is to stimulate scientific debates on agroecological research agenda, focussing on emerging issues such as an example, the contribution of indicators to the valuation of ecologically-based agricultures.

Another objective is to lay the basis of a network involved in the international debate on interdisciplinarity and links between research and action addressed by agroecology.

The Summer School is mainly designed for students who are interested in or concerned by agroecology in their education and training (master, internships) or research (thesis). Master students or PhD students that recently started their projects are therefore particularly welcomed.

The so-called green revolutions are based on top down processes that transfer standard technology packages. However, they have targeted farmers that can afford the technology. Starting from a critical assessment of the green revolution, we analyse the numerous alternatives to the dominant model of agriculture that implicitly or explicitly refer to agroecology.

The specific feature of the international summer school is to discuss how these alternatives are positionned in the triangle connecting practices, science and social movements. The core business of the scientific committee is doing science even if the entrance point of some of us has been practices or social movements. It is expected that at the end of the Summer school, students will be able to position themselves in the triangle and assume the consequences of this positioning.

Trainees will also learn to use tools that stimulate the links between the poles of the triangle in order to play a role of “innovation broker”. The international dimension garantees the critical views of the Summer School and offers a diversity of approaches. Finally, the summer school has the ambition to build a community of young practitioners of agroecology.

]]> No publisher webmaster agroecology 2013-03-28T07:20:00Z Event World Water Week 2013 - Water Cooperation – building partnerships http://www.agriculturesnetwork.org/get-involved/events/events-2013/world-water-week-2013 World Water Week is hosted and organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) and takes place each year in Stockholm. The World Water Week has been the annual focal point for the globe's water issues since 1991. World water week 20132013 has by the UN General Assembly been declared the "International Year of Water Cooperation". The questions to be addressed in 2013 include:

  • Why do we need to cooperate?
  • On what, for what aim, at what level, with whom and how do we need to cooperate?

Agenda / Workshops

The following workshops will be convened:

  • Science and art of water cooperation
  • The human rights-based approach to cooperation in water, sanitation and hygiene
  • Bridging land/water/ecosystem divides
  • Cooperation across and within jurisdictions and levels for good water governance -Local to global
  • Linking science, practice and policy under increasing complexity and uncertainty
  • Cooperation for sustainable benefits and financing of water programmes
  • Transboundary water cooperation - External and internal drivers
  • Climate change adaptation and mitigation - Promoting coherence
]]> No publisher webmaster water 2013-01-19T23:45:08Z Event Sustainable livelihood in the tropical drylands http://www.agriculturesnetwork.org/get-involved/events/events-2013/sustainable-livelihood-in-the-tropical-drylands Over the last decade, significant advances have been made in tropical and subtropical drylands of Sub-Saharan Africa to boost sustainable livelihood. This international symposium aims at creating a forum for those conducting research in dry highlands of Africa as well as in comparable regions around the globe to discuss results and to exchange experience during paper and poster sessions as well as during field excursions. Sustainable livelihood in the tropical drylandsThe congress will focus on various aspects of sustainable livelihood which will be elaborated upon into the six thematic sessions and 2 stakeholder’s fora:

  • Water harvesting for improving livelihood: water and food security: infiltration, enhancing groundwater recharge
  • Soil conservation and forestry: effect of soil conservation practices, conservation agriculture, watershed management, faith of sediment in hydrological catchments at various scales, forest regeneration and management
  • Technologies for improved rural welfare: oxen ploughing, rural energy (solar, wind, hybrid systems, biogass, small-scale hydropower)
  • Aquatic Ecology: water quality, eutrophication, cyan bacterial blooms, fish as protein source for livelihoods improvement, potential conflict between fish culture and water quality
  • Crop Productivity: salinization, deficit irrigation, irrigation management, drip irrigation, long-term fertility, traditional irrigation systems, mechanization, crop livestock systems
  • Socio-economics of sustainable livelihood: home economics, entitlements of natural resources, credit systems, value chains, coping mechanisms
  • Farmers forum on Sustainable Livelihood and natural Resources: high value crops (fruits, vegetables), water-saving technologies
  • Technical forum for design engineers, hydrologists, watershed experts and agronomists: integrated watershed management for water harvesting  soil and water conservation technologies

Specific objectives of the congress

  • Evaluate past research efforts in integrated natural resources management for sustainable livelihood with particular focus on water harvesting
  • Streamline future scientific efforts in support of sustainable livelihood
  • Draw recommendations for capacity building in land and water management
]]> No publisher webmaster sustainable livelihood 2013-01-24T12:50:00Z Event First International Conference on Global Food Security http://www.agriculturesnetwork.org/get-involved/events/events-2013/first-international-conference-on-global-food-security The First International Conference on Global Food Security aims to deliver state-of-the-art analysis, inspiring visions and innovative research methods arising from interdisciplinary research. Join us in this exciting opportunity to ensure that the best science is garnered to support the emergence of the Sustainable Development Goals. First International Conference on Global Food SecurityAchieving global food security whilst reconciling demands on the environment is the greatest challenge faced by mankind. By 2050 we will need to feed 9 billion people. The urgency of the issue has led to huge scientific strides forwards; making it difficult to keep up with the rapidly expanding volume of scientific research.

The First International Conference on Global Food Security aims to better understand economic, social, biophysical, technological and institutional drivers of current and future global food security.

Topics List

Global Food Systems

  • Yield gaps and their agro-ecological and socioeconomic dimensions
  • Food chains, certification for sustainability, fair trade, biofuels
  • Buy local and food miles? Food self-sufficiency at local, national, continental or global scales?
  • Trade and economic aspects
  • Alternative agricultures (intensive systems, agroecological approaches, coastal and saline agriculture, speciality crops)
  • Aquaculture, harvesting the oceans, fish ponds

Competing claims on natural resources

  • Biofuels
  • Competition between agriculture and nature
  • Land sparing, land sharing, land grabbing
  • Water

Too much and too little – food access and nutrition

  • Obesity and hunger
  • Food quality
  • Food availability versus purchasing power
  • Food quality and processing (involvement of industry)

Lost harvest and wasted food

  • Post-harvest
  • Processing losses
  • ‘Coordination losses’ in the food chain (sell by dates etc)
]]> No publisher webmaster food security 2012-12-20T08:35:00Z Event 3rd Africa Rice Congress http://www.agriculturesnetwork.org/get-involved/events/events-2013/3rd-africa-rice-congress The Third Africa Rice Congress will have as its main theme: ‘Rice Science for Food Security and Agri-business Development in Africa’. 3rd Africa Rice CongressThe 3rd Africa Rice Congress will bring together representatives from the public and private sector, civil society organizations, farmer associations and research and extension communities engaged in the development of Africa’s rice sector.

The Congress will take stock of advances in rice science and technology aimed at improving production, processing and marketing practices across the rice value chain in Africa. The Congress will also provide opportunity to discuss institutional innovations, policies and key investments needed to significantly increase rice production, processing and marketing in sub-Saharan Africa, thereby developing competitive and equitable rice value chains, reducing imports and enhancing regional trade.

Agenda

The conference will feature plenary sessions, mini symposia and the GRiSP Global Forum. Sub-themes to be discussed are:

  1. Climate resilient rice for Africa's environments and markets
  2. Sustainable intensification and diversification of rice based systems
  3. Rice processing and marketing
  4. Rice policy for food security and agri-business development
  5. Innovation systems and ICT tools for rice value chain development
]]> No publisher webmaster lowland rice 2013-01-24T12:54:31Z Event 7th International Rice Genetics Symposium http://www.agriculturesnetwork.org/get-involved/events/events-2013/rg7 The 7th International Rice Genetics Symposium is one of the world’s largest and most important rice research symposium. It provides an excellent learning and networking platform for rice researchers, experts and representatives from the public and private sectors to come together to share their expertise on issues of rice production. Logo: 7th International Rice Genetics SymposiumThe 7th International Rice Genetics Symposium (RG7) is a quadrennial event that is organized by the International Rice Research Institute. This is one of the world’s biggest and important rice research conferences. More than 700 top international scientists and researchers are expected to attend.

Key activities will include knowledge-sharing workshops, chaired by leading experts that will benefit the attendees with in-depth discussion on special topics in rice genetics. There will be an exclusive symposium dinner, featuring a special program that promises abundant opportunities for knowledge exchange and networking. An exclusive field tour of IRRI in Los Baños will highlight the Institute’s field and laboratory experiments and guarantees a comprehensive and fruitful field experience for the delegates.

The symposium will be accompanied by an exhibition that showcases the latest technology and new-to-market products. RG7 offers an international platform for great networking and market penetration opportunities within the rice industry.

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