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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