The one-day meeting consisted of three parts: At the morning session, invited speakers from around the world as well as agricultural leaders in China gave their talks. In the afternoon a charter meeting of a regional Chinese group of TIPI, the Technology Innovation Platform of IFOAM – Organics International was held. This meeting was followed by a tour to Tony’s Farm.
Sixteen speakers, from China and around the world, delivered presentations that focused on four topics: Organic agricultural policy and strategy; research & innovation; application of technology, methods and tools in organic farming; and future perspectives. Almost 130 attendees showed great interest in the different topics, representing a diversity of institutions including the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), universities, food producers, academies, investors, botanic gardens, certification bodies, as well as scientific researchers of traditional Chinese medicine plants, and the media.
The 1st Science Day & Technology Innovation Forum was chaired by the President of IFOAM Asia, Mr. Zejiang Zhou, and by Professor Dr. Weicai Yang, the director of the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (IGDB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
Petra Wolf, member of the Management Board at NürnbergMesse said in her opening speech “The major aim of today’s TIPI Science Day is the foundation of TIPI regional China Group. I am very glad to see that TIPI is now about to extend its reach to the People’s Republic of China. This group will play a key part in fostering understanding and cooperation between TIPI members in China and the rest of the world, paving the way for intensified joint research and the transfer of technological innovations in organic farming.”
TIPI International council member, Dr. Helga Willer from the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, introduced the global vision and strategy of TIPI to the audience.
In the afternoon session, the Chinese scientists, farmers, certifiers and food producers founded a regional group of TIPI in order to strengthen organic food and farming research in China.
During the meeting, more than 50 attendees from 35 public and private institutions signed up as future members.
Professor Weicai Yang took over the responsibility as coordinator of the Chinese group of TIPI and will prepare the next steps.
Dr. Andrew Hammermeister, TIPI International council member, explained that the setting up of this new platform in China will enable the collaboration of organic stakeholders towards research and innovation in organic agriculture and will contribute to the sustainability goals of the Chinese agricultural policy.
The first TIPI Organic Science Day & Technology Innovation Forum at BIOFACH CHINA 2016 was organized by Dr. Qiyan Wang-Mueller, the relationship coordinator of the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL with China. FiBL was the official host of the Science Day.
Director Weicai Yang introduced the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (IGDB) to the audience and announced that IDGB and FiBL had signed a cooperation agreement to create a joint organic research center at Changzhou in the Jiangsu Province. The new IGDB – FiBL Organic Centre will foster organic research and innovation.
Markus Arbenz, Executive Director of IFOAM – Organics International, welcomed the new gained momentum and concluded that a well collaborating organic scientific community in China is of outmost importance to address pressing environmental and social challenges caused through unsustainable agriculture practices.
The TIPI Organic Science Day & Technology Innovation Forum in China was made possible by the sponsorship of the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (IGDB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) Switzerland, NürnbergMesse China Co. Ltd., China Organic Food Certification Center, and Tony’s Farm, supported by Organic and Beyond Group China and Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants.
Further information
Contact
- Dr. Qiyan Wang-Müller, Technology Innovation Platform of IFOAM – Organics International, c/o Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, Ackerstrasse 113, 5070 Frick, Switzerland, qiyan.wang-mueller@fibl.org, www.fibl.org
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Weblinks
- TIPI.IFOAM.org: Website of Technology Innovation Platform of IFOAM – Organics International
- www.organic-research.net: Information about the TIPI Science Day in China
- www.organic-research.net: Pictures of the TIPI Science Day in China
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