Programme of the pre-conference at the Organic World Congress 2017: "Accelerating innovation - the role of science, policy and practice"

PDF of programme

Moderated by Dr Gurbir Singh Bhullar

08:30 - 09:00: Registration
09:00 - 09:10 Welcome and introduction
Prof Dr Urs Niggli, Director, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, Frick, Switzerland
09:10 – 09:40 Opening address
Prof Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India), New Delhi, Government of India (GOI)
09:40 – 10:00 Policy for scientific capacity building in India
Dr Gurbachan Singh, Chairman, Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board, New Delhi, GOI
10:00 – 10:15 Research and innovation to transform food systems in India – the Swiss approach
Marie Laure Crettaz, Head Swiss Cooperation Office India, Embassy of Switzerland
10:15 – 10:30 Institutional innovations supporting transitions to sustainable agriculture and food systems
Anne-Sophie Poisot, IPPM Programme coordinator, FAO, United Nations

10:30 – 11:00 Coffee break

11:00 - 11:20 Many shades of grey - The context-dependent performance of organic agriculture
Verena Seufert, Senior Scientist, KIT, Karlsruhe, Germany
11:20 – 11:40 What can organic agriculture contribute to sustainable development in the tropics? Findings from a long-term farming systems comparison program (SysCom)
Dr Gurbir Singh Bhullar, Senior Scientist and Program Leader, FiBL, Frick, Switzerland
11:40 – 12:00 The most important knowledge gaps in organic food and farming systems
Christian Andres, Scientific Secretary of TIPI & Scientist at FiBL, Frick, Switzerland
12:00 - 13:00 Panel discussion – "Science & Policy to transform food systems – challenges & opportunities"
Moderated by Dr Brian Baker, Principal Belcairn Concerns, Vice-President of TIPI
Panellists: Prof Ramesh Chand, Dr Gurbachan Singh, Marie Laure Crettaz, Anne-Sophie Poisot,
Prof A.K.Dhawan, Dr Gurbir Singh Bhullar, Ms Beate Huber (Deputy Director FiBL)

13:00 – 14:00 Lunch

Moderated by Christian Andres and Dr Amritbir Singh Riar

14:00 – 14:35 Role of innovation platforms & participatory research in agricultural development in India
Dr Randhir S. Poswal, Assistant Director General Agriculture Extension, ICAR, New Delhi, India
14:35 – 15:10 Innovation platforms for agricultural development in the Global South
Dr Marc Schut, Social Scientist, IITA & Wageningen University, Kigali, Rwanda
15:10 – 15:30 Questions and answers with panel of Speakers

15:30 – 16:00 Coffee break

16:00 – 17:30 Workshop – "How can we accelerate innovation in organic food and farming systems?"
Moderated by Dr Andrew Hammermeister, Director Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada (OACC), TIPI Council Member
17:30 – 18:00 Synthesis and pre-conference closing
Prof Dr Gabi Soto, Member of IFOAM World Board of Directors, TIPI Council Member
18:00 – 20:00 TIPI membership assembly
20:00 – 21:00 OFIA reception and dinner