Posted June 1997

Conference Programme

Conference Programme | Declaration | Panel Session

Introduction

Today, human intervention in natural systems - i.e. diversion of watercourses, extraction of minerals, emission of heat and noxious gases into the atmosphere, genetic manipulation and commercial deforesting, etc. - are drastic in scale and impact and pose threats to life-support systems both locally and globally. Sustainable development must not endanger the Earth's natural systems. In this context, the "International Conference on Sustainable Agriculture for Food, Energy and Industry" will put emphasis on assets of sustainability and define the elements and means towards achievement of sustainability.

More than 400 abstracts from scientists, rural women's organizations and non-governmental organizations from 67 countries have been received. This allows construction of a very effective and diversified program towards sustainable agriculture and resource management. The conference aims to offer a platform for the exchange and evaluation of experience, as well as the initiation of strategies to ensure sustainable development in agricultural production systems for food, energy and industry.

Results achieved by the project "Biosphere 2", and the tasks planned for the second phase of this enterprise towards achievement of sustainability, will be presented at the conference. A special panel discussion on "Energizing the food production chain to promote food security" is planned by FAO. The conference is co-organized by the Working Group on Biomass for Energy and the Environment of the European Sustainable Rural Environment and Energy Network (FAO/SREN).

The conference will be held at the FORUM of the Federal Agricultural Research Centre, Braunschweig, Germany. Telephone and fax numbers during the conference are:
Tel: +49 531 596 301
Fax: +49 531 596 814

Conference Secretariat

Federal Agricultural Research Centre (FAL)
Institute of Crop Science
Bundesallee 50
D-38116 Braunschweig, Germany

Phone: +49 531 596 1 (FAL main operator)
Direct tel: 596 307, 596 601, 596 610, 596 638
Fax: +49 531 596 365
Email: SusAgriCon@pf.fal.de
WWW: http://www.fal.de/conferences/susagri97/

Conference programme: Outline

Opening session

Plenary sessions and panels

• A1. Assessment of Sustainability

• A2. Energizing the Food Production Chain to Promote Food Security (G. Best, FAO)

• A3. Sustainable Land Use Systems in the Amazon Rain Forest (R. Lieberei, University of Hamburg, Germany; P. de T. Alvim, Fundayão Pau-Brasil, Brasil; L. Gasparotto, EMBRAPA, Brasil)

• A4. Research Towards Sustainable Agriculture
  • Sustainable Agriculture in the 21st century - A vision? (M. Kern, AgrEvo, Germany)
  • Research at Biosphere 2 (F. Tubiello, Goddard Institute for Space Studies, USA; B. Marino, Harvard University, USA)

Symposia

• B1. Primary Production of Biomass, Processing and Utilization
  • B1-1. Food
  • B1-2. Energy (WG 3: Biomass for Energy and the Environment, SREN / FAO)
  • B1-3. Industry

• B2. Basic Elements and Strategies Toward Sustainability
  • B2-1. Climate and agro-ecosystems
  • B2-2. Biodiversity, plant breeding, genetic engineering and biotechnology
  • B2-3. Biological, ecological and organic farming
  • B2-4. Resource management (soils, water, nutrients and waste)
  • B2-5. Remediation of contaminated and degraded lands
  • B2-6. Management of marginal lands and fragile environments
  • B2-7. Plant-microbe interaction

• B3. Integrated Research Studies

• B4. Cultural, Social, Economic and Environmental Dimensions

Closing session: Conclusions and Perspectives

Opening session: Monday, 23 June 1997

Welcoming Address by Prof. Dr. A. Munack
President, Federal Agricultural Research Centre (FAL)

Addresses by:

Bundesminister J. Borchert
Federal Minister of Food, Agriculture and Forestry (BML)

Representative
Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO)

Representative
European Commission

Prof. Dr. R. K. Behl
Society of Sustainable Agriculture and Resource Management (SSARM)

Dr. N. El Bassam
Conference Chairman Dr. Franz Alt
TV Journalist

Programme schedule

Proceedings volume

The publishers of the conference proceedings volume is James & James (Science Publishers) Limited, London UK. The inclusion of the contributions in the proceedings volume is subject to the final decision to be made by the reviewing committee. Participants with oral or poster presentations are asked to deliver their manuscripts at the conference check-in desk.

Sponsorship

The following organisations and institutions have provided substantial support to the conference:

Brot für die Welt, Stuttgart
Stiftung Nord/LB Öffentliche, Braunschweig
EU - European Commission, Brussels
Auro GmbH, Braunschweig
AgrEvo, Frankfurt
Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca Dello Stato, Roma
Institute of Natural Fibres, Poznan
Lebensbaum, Diepholz
Gesellschaft der Freunde der FAL e.V., Braunschweig

Further support has been received from the following:

Biologische Bundesanstalt für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Braunschweig
Ingenieurbüro Brenneke und Pfeiffer, Vechelde
KWS Kleinwanzlebener Saatzucht AG, Einbeck
Piccoplant Mikrovermehrungen GmbH, Oldenburg
UP Umweltfreundliche Produkte GmbH, Osnabrück
Zucker-Aktiengesellschaft Uelzen-Braunschweig, Braunschweig