Call for paper

CALL FOR PAPER

10th International Conference
on

Agricultural Biotechnology:
Facts, Analysis and Policies

organized by the:

International Consortium on Agricultural Biotechnology Research
(ICABR)

and the:

Catholic University of Leuven
CEIS - University of Rome "Tor Vergata"
Rutgers University
Economic Growth Center, Yale University

the Conference will take place at
Ravello ( Italy ) June 29 – July 2, 2006

More then ten years have passed since the first biotech varieties were made available to farmers for cultivation. In this decade those varieties have spread in numerous developed and developing countries, although at different speed and scope. Farmers and consumers acceptance have been different from place to place and in several occasions have interacted. In some cases in fact farmers although attracted by the advantages of those new varieties have been concerned upon the acceptance of their produce on the export markets.

During this decade an increasing number of biotech varieties and processes have been invented, commercialised or made available to scientists. The presence of those varieties have attracted public attention and stirred public debates. In important markets - as those of the European Union - production and commercialization of these products have been – for several years – practically banned. Now the situation is gradually evolving and a new regulatory framework has been set to govern production and trade. Food safety institutions have been created and are evolving.

At the same time plant biotecnologies are evolving in new and promising directions as for example the production of enriched foods, pharmaceuticals and industrial goods.

The techniques of genetic engineering were first developed in scientific research programs and first pursued by scientists. The sciences underpinning the technology are continuing to open up new technological invention opportunities as genome maps are completed and as the fields of genomics and proteomics analysis take form.

Important policy questions regarding public research system design and conduct are emerging. These are of particular importance in developing countries. These questions require a long view and an understanding of the scientific revolution that is underway.

As those biotechnology products have become increasingly available, policy issues relating their trade, domestic production and consumption seems to have gained paramount relevance in the national and international agricultural policy arena and have also acquired some more general relevance as well. Increasingly important has become the capacity of governments to envision and enforce an appropriate set of rules to ensure a sustainable development of this sector. Among others in this regard the experience in Brazil and India is very instructive.

The Ravello's Conference will focus on the following topics:

Impact of agricultural biotechnology on international trade
Industrial organization
Public acceptance
Impact of science
Intellectual property rights
Biotechnology & developing countries
Regulation of biotechnology
Biomasses and new products
Governance issues for the biotechnology sector
Biotechnology, trade and development
Ecogenomics and ecoproteomics

The Conference will include:

paper presentation
round tables
biowindow
poster display

Paper proposals

Proposals for contributing papers are sought.

Proposals in the form of a maximum of 500 words abstract incorporating agbiotech applications to one or more of the topics on the previous list of topics should be sent to:

Vittorio Santaniello
University of Rome " Tor Vergata ",
Via Columbia 2,
00133 - Rome, Italy

icabr@economia.uniroma2.it
by January 15, 2006

The Conference steering committee (R. Evenson, Yale University; P. Pingali, Fao, Rome; C. Pray, Rutgers University; V. Santaniello, University of Rome - Tor Vergata; P.L. Scandizzo, University of Rome - Tor Vergata; E. Tollens, K. U. Leuven) promise a response by February 5, 2006 , with accepted papers due May 20, 2006.

Authors of accepted papers should register as soon as possible following notification. Link to the registration form can be found on the following page: http://www.economia.uniroma2.it/conferenze/icabr2006/Registration.asp

Round tables

Participants at the Conference are encouraged to propose specific issue and panels for the Round Tables. It is strongly suggested that components of the panel include a mix of expertise (an economist, a scientist, a representative from companies, consumers org., producers org., etc.).

The proponent will act as chairman of the Round Table.
Proposals should arrive to the steering committee by April 2, 2006 , emailed electronically to: icabr@economia.uniroma2.it, and should include a short C.V. of the participants with their email addresses, along with a short description of the aim of the discussion panel.

By 15th April, 2006 the steering committee will communicate to the proponent if the Round Table has been included in the program.
Each Round Table will last no more then 90 minutes.

Biowindow

All trough the Conference and then in a special session, biotechnologists are encouraged to present the results of their research by posting them in spaces specifically provided for this purpose.

Aim of this session is to favour exchange of views between economists and biotechnologists. This exchange should provide economists an opportunity to acquire additional information on what are the latest developments on biotech sciences and more in general on what is in the biotech pipeline. At the same time biotechnologists would have an opportunity to broaden their appreciation on the economic relevance of their laboratory activities.

Biotechnologists are invited to send a short summary of their presentation to: icabr@economia.uniroma2.it

Poster display

A poster session is organised to give the opportunity to discuss on going research works.
ICABR encourages the participation of young scientists and graduate students whose work could be presented and discussed in the poster session.

Summary of the poster content should be sent to the steering committee by April 2, 2006.

Participation Fee

	Until April 1st 2006	After April 1st 2006
Participants Fee	400 euro	450 euro
Graduate Students	250 euro	300 euro

Fees will cover copies of the papers presented in the conference, coffee breaks and lunches.

Venue

Ravello is a village perched on a 350 meters above the blue sea of Amalfi and is one of the most beautiful places of the Amalfi coast. Ravello has conserved its historical monuments through the ages in a natural setting which has few equals in the world.
Ravello's beauties, were praised by Boccaccio in his Decameron, and by Richard Wagner. Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone are two of the famous villas of Ravello. In Villa Rufolo Wagner found its magical garden of Klingsor for the second act of Parsifal. Wagner said: "I have found the garden of the Klingsor. This place is really a garden of beauties, full of history and art, full of colours and lights, full of flowers". Villa Cimbrone is known for its breathtaking belvedere.
Ravello was founded between the end of the Roman Western Empire and the beginning of the Eastern Empire. When Amalfi became to have a prosperous and important marine republic, Ravello's ships sailed all the Mediterranean.
Ravello is located near Positano, Amalfi, Sorrento and the Island of Capri which are among the most well-known Italian summer resorts. It is within easy reach of Naples and Pompei.
In the website of the Conference, links can be found to the web pages illustrating all those areas and how to reach them.

Additional information on previous Conferences can be obtained here.

Conference Secretariat:

Email: icabr@economia.uniroma2.it
Phone: +39 06 7259 5843
+39 328 6934027