Call for paper

CALL FOR PAPER

11th International Conference
on

Agricultural Biotechnologies: New Frontiers and
Products – Economics, Policies and Science

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 ( Scala ) ( Italy ) July 26 – 29, 2007

More then a decade has passed since the first biotech varieties were made available to farmers for cultivation. During those years an increasing number of biotech varieties and processes have been invented, commercialised or made available to scientists. The presence of those varieties and processes have attracted public attention and stirred public debates.
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. Particular attention are gaining the applications of biotechnologies to the production of dedicated energy plant varieties and to the solution of technical problems that still impede efficient processing of biomass into energy and industrial products. Environmental and security issues are adding to the relevance of those research areas.

Important policy questions regarding public research system design and conduct are emerging. These are of particular importance in developed as well as 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.

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

Impact of agricultural biotechnology on international trade
Biomasses and new industrial products
Ethanol, biodiesel and other renewable energies, varieties and processes
Bio - Pharmaceuticals
Industrial organization
Public acceptance
Impact of science
Intellectual property rights
Biotechnology & developing countries
Regulation of biotechnology
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:

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

icabr@economia.uniroma2.it
by February 20, 2007

The Conference steering committee promise a response by February 27, 2007, with accepted papers due by June 10, 2007.

Authors of accepted papers should register as soon as possible following notification.

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, 2007, 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, 2007 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, 2007.

Participation Fee

	Until April 1st 2007	After April 1st 2007
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: +39 328 6934027