I TOWARDS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE: Challenges and opportunities for the European Agri-food Sector

Paris, 22nd of October 2008


The Instituto Andaluz de Tecnología (Andalusian Institute of Technology), as European TOWARDS project coordinator, arranges next 22nd of October in Paris an International Conference within the framework of the Global Food Market place 2008 .


TOWARDS project, co-financed by the European Commission under the Sixth Framework Programme, started in 2007 with the aim of supporting regional producer oriented agri-food networks and associations in their migration towards an innovative, client & market oriented network/association model. During this period the consortium of the project, which includes institutions from Spain, United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Poland, Czech Republic, Lithuania and Greece, has worked together on achieving this goal involving for this purpose 36 associations and networks representative of this sector in Europe .

In the framework of this project, IAT arranges an International Conference with the purpose of presenting the results obtained so far in the project and analysing the main challenges and opportunities currently faced by companies in this sector. The Global Food Marketplace 2008-SIAL has been chosen to hold this Conference.

SIAL currently represents the world leading food industry show, being a showcase for innovation and a truly global business platform. Around 140,000 visitors from 191 countries and over 5,300 exhibitors from 99 countries will meet in Paris from 19th to 23rd of October in this new edition for agri-food industry professionals.

The Conference, which will count with the presence of the European Commission, will also gather the key agents of this sector in Europe together: associations, cooperatives, Public Administration, Universities and other professionals of the sector.

Date and venue: 22nd of October 2008
Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Center (París)

For further information and registrations please contact
Eva Pérez/Charo Camacho (International Programmes Department)

Tlf: 954 46 74 12
rcamacho@iat.es
evaperez@iat.es

FIRST TRUEFOOD CONFERENCE "Truefood for life"

TRUEFOOD intends to improve the quality (e.g. nutritional) and safety and introduce into traditional food production systems through research, demonstration, dissemination and training activities. The project represents a unique and pioneering initiative because of its direct involvement of food SMEs which usually do not have such direct access to the benefits of high quality R&D results.

The conference presents teh first tangible results and provides a platform to debate the different aspects of innovation in the tradtional food products with all stakeholders. Participants will have a unique opportunity to network, listen and debate with industrial and academic players involved in innovation in the traditional food production.

II NATIONAL CONFERENCE. Thessaloniki, Greece.

The aim of the national event is to promote cross-regional networking within the agri-food sector and especially support the migration of agri-food SMEs networks/associations from a producer’s and regional focus towards a market and European orientation.

Target groups: The conference addresses all the stakeholders of the agri-food sector (SMEs, technology and business consultants, innovation experts within the agri-food sector, technology transfer organizations, research and educational bodies, regional authorities, etc) but especially agri-food associations, cooperatives and other producers’ networks who wish to orient themselves towards more innovative management models.

During the event all participants will have the opportunity to be informed about TOWARDS project, the implementation strategy tool and other innovative initiatives and good practices at European level focusing on the improvement of competitiveness.

The agenda of the event includes presentations about the overall concept of the project, the implementation strategy tool for migration, best practices from Greece but from Europe as well, a complementary presentation about knowledge management and importance of the knowledge exchange nowadays. Finally, it will finish with a discussion among participants and speakers. One expert being involved in the project activities (Percephoni Giannouli- Assistant Professor Research Activities in food technology and quality control) will support the event and the discussion.
http://www.agronews.gr/content/view/39649/40/lang,el/

Agriculture and food

What does our society expect from the agricultural sector and from the food we eat? How can EU policy enhance economic, environmental and social sustainability in agriculture? What does food quality mean and how does quality relate to price?According to a recent Commission poll, for EU citizens the priorities of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) should be to:
- provide healthy and safe food
- ensure a fair standard of living for farmers
- promote respect of the environment
- guarantee that farm animals are well treated
- help farmers adapt to consumer's expectations
- ensure reasonable prices for consumers
- boost growth and jobs in the rural areas
The main aim of the CAP is to promote quality and safety and a farm sector in tune with the environment and animal welfare. We need to develop an even more sustainable farm and food sector for the future.
For more information please visit: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/survey/index_en.htm

The EU applies agri-environmental measures to support farming practices.

The EU applies agri-environmental measures which support specifically designed farming practices, going beyond the baseline level of "good farming practice" (GFP), that help to protect the environment and maintain the countryside.

Apart from the principle that farmers should observe a minimum level of environmental standards as a condition for the full granting of the direct payments ("cross-compliance"), another basic principle embodied in the Community strategy for the integration of environmental considerations into the CAP is that, wherever the society desires that farmers deliver an environmental service beyond that baseline level, this service should be purchased through agri-environmental measures.

In the framework of the rural development policy, the Community offers a menu of measures to promote the protection of the farmed environment and its biodiversity. There are, among others, possibilities of support for less favoured areas and agri-environmental measures, which entail, respectively, applying or going beyond the usual Good Farming Practices.
Agri-environment schemes were introduced into EU agricultural policy during the late 1980s as an instrument to support specific farming practices that help to protect the environment and maintain the countryside. With the CAP reform in 1992, the implementation of agri-environment programmes became compulsory for Member States in the framework of their rural development plans. The 2003 CAP reform maintains the nature of the agri-environment schemes as being obligatory for Member States, whereas they remain optional for farmers. In addition, the maximum EU co-financing rate has increased to 85% in Objective 1 areas and to 60% in other areas.

Farmers who commit themselves, for a five-year minimum period, to adopt environmentally-friendly farming techniques that go beyond usual good farming practice, receive in return payments that compensate for additional costs and loss of income that arise as a result of altered farming practices. Examples of commitments covered by national/regional agri-environmental schemes are:
· Environmentally favourable extensification of farming;
· management of low-intensity pasture systems;
· integrated farm management and organic agriculture;
· preservation of landscape and historical features such as hedgerows, ditches and woods;
· conservation of high-value habitats and their associated biodiversity.

More than one third of the Community contribution to rural development (EAGGF - European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund) has been spent on agri-environmental measures (average 2000-2002). Across the EU, the share of agricultural land enrolled in agri-environmental measures in total agricultural area has increased from 15% in 1998 to 27% in 2001. The 2001 data includes all the new contracts signed in 2000 and 2001 under Regulation No 1257/1999 [summary], covering 16 million of hectares and the on-going commitments under the former Regulation (EC) 2078/92, which still represent 18 million of hectares. In addition, there were, in 2001, 8.442 agri-environmental contracts to support animal breeds endangered, covering 60 568 livestock units.

source: http://ec.europa.eu/index_es.htm