Conference on Agroecology for Sustainable Food Systems in Europe: A Transformative Agenda

June 26-27, 2013 – Brussels, Belgium –  Université Libre de Bruxelles

Conference program

Conference outline

Summary of the conference paper “Agroecology in Europe: Conforming – or transforming the dominant agro-food regime?”

Co-organisers: Centre for Agroecology and Food Security at the Coventry University (CAFS, UK), European Network of Scientists for Social and Environmental Responsibility (ENSSER, Germany), Fondation Sciences Citoyennes (FSC, France), Groupe Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Agroécologie du FNRS (GIRAF, Belgium), International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements EU (IFOAM EU, Belgium)

Scientific Partner: Technology Platform for Organic Food and Farming Research (TP Organics, Belgium)

Hosts: Laboratoire de Lutte biologique et Ecologie spatiale (LUBIES) & Penser la Science (www), both Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB, Belgium)

Venues:

26. June 10:00 – 13:00: European Parliament (Belgium), Rue Wiertz, Brussels, Room ASP3G3

26. June 14:30 -18:00 & 27. June: Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium), Hall H, Room H2215
www.ulb.ac.be/campus/solbosch/plan-H.htm

 

Policy Panel – European Parliament

Agroecology – The Need for Transformation in Policy and Science

Jun 26 (10:00) – Registration

11:00 – 13:00 Opening

Philippe Lamberts, MEP (Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance), Belgium

Angelika Hilbeck, Chairperson of ENSSER
Research needs and visions for innovation and sustainability – why ENSSER is engaged

Perspectives

on AgroEcology & Transformation
Transformation Sub-group (by Les Levidow, Michel Pimbert, Pierre M. Stassart, Gaetan Vanloqueren; presented by Les Levidow, Open University, UK)

on AgroEcology & European Innovation Partnership on Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability
Marco Schlüter, Director, IFOAM EU Group & Sherpa of the High-Level Steering Board EIP

on AgroEcology & Common Agricultural Policy
Susanne Padel, Organic Research Centre, UK

on AgroEcology & European Research
Hans-Jörg Lutzeyer, European Commission, DG Research and Innovation

Discussion

Moderator: David Quist, GenØk, Norway & ENSSER Board

Closure

Yves Cochet, MEP (Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance), France

Scientific Panel – Université Libre de Bruxelles

Jun 26 (14:30) – Opening

Angelika Hilbeck, Chairperson of ENSSER
Reflections on the European Parliament Session

Isabelle Stengers, Penser la Science, Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
Thoughts for food (text of )

15:00 – 15:40 Knowledge transformation and exchange

Gianluca Brunori, Università di Pisa, Italy & Co-author of SCAR Foresight Report 2011
Building innovation agri-food systems oriented to sustainability: the role of open science

15:40 – 16:20 Agroecological science for sustainable resource use

Jacob Weiner, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Applying ecological and evolutionary science to improve agricultural yield and sustainability

Isabel Pepin, Farmer & European Coordination Via Campesina
Agroecology in practice: resource uses

16:50 – 17:30 A shift to re-localised food systems

Michel Pimbert, Centre for Agroecology and Food Security (CAFS) at the Coventry University, UK
Towards re-localised and resilient food systems: challenges and opportunities in Europe

Janice Jiggins, Wageningen University, The Netherlands & Co-author of the IAASTD Report
What is driving re-localisation of food systems?

17:30 – 18:10 Rethinking economics, trade and markets

Luca Colombo, Fondazione Italiana por la Ricerca in Agricoltura o Biodinamica (FIRAB), Italy
Agroecology in the framework of food sovereignty

Jan Douwe van der Ploeg, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
The construction of new markets: China, Brazil and the EU

Jun 27 (09:00) – Plenary

Transformation Sub-Group (Les Levidow, Michel Pimbert, Pierre M. Stassart, Gaetan Vanloqueren)
Conclusions and recommendations from the Policy Panel

Transformation Sub-Group
Conclusions and recommendations from the Policy Panel

09:40 – 10:00 Parallel Workshops

Introduction and Formation of GroupsModerators & Rapporteurs: Members of the organising consortium

10:00 – 12:30

Knowledge transformation and exchange
Input: David Quist, GenØk, Norway & Michel Pimbert, Centre for Agroecology and Food Security (CAFS) at the Coventry University, UK

Agroecological science for sustainable resource usage
Input: Pierre M. Stassart, Groupe Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Agroécologie (GIRAF), Belgium: Agroecology as an interdisciplinary scientific practice: Gaps and promises
Les Levidow, The Open University, UK

13:30 – 15:30

Rethinking economics, trade and markets
Input: Mathieu Calame, La Fondation Charles Léopold Mayer pour le Progrès de l’Homme (FPH), France

A shift to re-localised food systems
Input:  Claire Lamine, INRA Ecodéveloppement, France &Ulrich Schmutz, Garden Organic Ryton, Centre for Agroecology and Food Security (CAFS) at the Coventry University, UK

15:30 – 16:00 Conclusions & Closure