Conferences / Future of Agriculture / Program

1 st Forum for the Future of Agriculture

Debate on the objectives for European agriculture in the 21 st Century

Bibliothèque Solvay

Rue Belliard 137, 1040 BRUXELLES

9am – 6pm , Thursday March 27 th 2008

 

 

Programme

 

8.15am Registration

 

9.00am Is the objective for European Agriculture Food, or Environmental Security, or both?

Introduction by the Chair

Franz FISCHLER, former EU Agriculture Commissioner, Chairman of the RISE Foundation , Conference Chair

 

Keynote address

Jos DELBEKE, Deputy Director General, DG Environment, EC

 

9.45am Agriculture & the question of food security

Panel Chair – Neil PARISH, MEP

  What do we mean by food security?

John BENSTED-SMITH, Director for Economic Analysis, Perspectives & Evaluations, DG Agriculture, EC

  Who has food security?

Stefan TANGERMANN, Director, Food, Agriculture & Fisheries, OECD

  How can food security be achieved?

Timothy HALL, Acting Director of Biotechnology, Agriculture and Food Research, DG Research, EC

  Plenary debate

 

11.00am Agriculture and the question of environmental security – meeting the Eco-System Challenge

Panel Chair – Nigel ARNELL Director, Walker Institute for Climate Systems Research, University of Reading, UK

  The case for European food & environmental security policy

Allan BUCKWELL, Chief Economist, Country Land & Business Association

  What is environmental security for?

Michael HAMELL, Head of Unit, Agriculture, Forest, and Soil, DG Environment, EC

  What are the main eco-system challenges?

John FINISDORE, Business & Ecosystems Researcher, World Resources Institute

  How can environmental security be achieved?

Tamas MARGHESCU, Regional Director, Europe, IUCN, BE

  Plenary debate

 

 

 

12.00pm Case studies: bringing together production and environment

  Operation Bumblebee

Geoff Coates, Environmental projects manager UK, Syngenta

  Neorural Activities (Third Generation Agriculture): projects and results

Giuseppe NATTA, CEO, Agroittica Acqua&Sole SpA

  Effects of climate change on European Agriculture

Tim WHEELER, Director of Plant Environment Laboratory Reading University

 

  Lunch

 

2.00pm What does Europe need from agriculture?

Panel Chair – Winfried BLUM President European Confederation of Soil Science Societies (ECSSS)

  Perspective from the agri-food industry

Willem-Jan LAAN, European External Affairs Director, Unilever

  Perspective from the food chain

Soren SCHRÖDER, Director General, VP Bunge Europe Agribusiness

  Perspective from the environment

Clairie PAPAZOGLOU, Director , Birdlife International

  Perspective from rural development

Corrado PIRZIO-BIROLI, CEO, RISE Foundation

  Plenary debate

 

3.00pm Can agriculture deliver what Europe needs?

Panel Chair – Andrew BOUNDS, Journalist, Financial Times

  Do we have the people?

Pekka PESONEN, Secretary-General, Copa-Cogeca

  Do we have the natural resources?

Thierry de L’ESCAILLE, CEO, European Landowners’ Organization

  Do we have the technology?

John ATKIN, Member of the Syngenta Executive Committee & Chief Operating Officer (Crop Protection), Syngenta

  Funding for agriculture

François d’ORMESSON, Administrator & General Manager, Phitrust Active Investors Portfolio

  Plenary debate

4.30pm Can we make the political case for food and environmental security?

PART A – THE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE

Moderator – Elaine CRUIKSHANKS, CEO, Hill & Knowlton International, Belgium

Debating: Robert STURDY, MEP

Friedrich-Wilhelm Graefe zu BARINGDORF, MEP

Janusz WOJCIECHOWSKI, MEP

PART B – PANEL DISCUSSION

  Perspective of the Slovenian Presidency

Branko RAVNIK, Director General, Slovenian Ministry of Agriculture

  Perspective of the European Commission

Daniele BIANCHI, Member of Commissioner Fischer-Boel’s Cabinet

  Perspective of the Member States

Paolo de CASTRO, Italian Minister of Agriculture

 

 

 

5.45pm Is there an emerging consensus on the objectives for European Agriculture in the 21 st Century, and what are the next steps

  Audience survey (via electronic polling)
  Conclusions & next steps

By Conference Chair:

Franz FISCHLER, former EU Agriculture Commissionner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Practical Information

 

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