Proceedings

SATURDAY

9:00 – 9:30 Opening speeches

9:30 – 11:00 GMO-free Regions 2006 – an overview

  • Presentation of political developments in the regions and EU
  • Short interviews with representatives from the regions
  • GM-free Regions Overview
  • Russia

11:00 – 13:00 Political Panel discussion: GM or non-GM? Rights and opportunities of regional self-determination

  • Andrä Rupprechter, Ministry of Agriculture, Austria (EU presidency)
  • Josef Stockinger, Agricultural Minister of Upper-Austria
  • Fabio Boscaleri, Agricultural Ministry of Tuscany, Italy
  • Pawel Polanecki, Deputy Chairman of the Sejim of Mazowie, Poland
  • Gabriele Friderich, City Council of Munich, Germany
  • Hansjörg Walter, Member of Swiss Parliament, President of Farmers Union, Switzerland

14:30 – 16:30 Parallel workshops and presentations

  • A1 – Legal strategies – regional, national, EU
  • A2 – GMO planting in 2006
  • A3 – GM-free animal feed
  • A4 – Protected areas & biodiversity
  • A5 – Risk assessments & scientific promotion of co-existence

17:00 – 18:30 Science Panel

  • Sue Mayer, Genewatch, UK: Traceability and contamination experiences
  • Katja Moch, Öko-Institut e.V., Germany: Epigenetics – beyond the gene dogma
  • Broder Breckling, Bremen University: Outcrossing experience and predictions for GMOs, an overview
  • Adrian Bebb, Friends of the Earth Europe: Science and stakeholders
  • Angelika Hilbeck, ETH Zürich: Soil impacts

SUNDAY

9:00 – 10:30 Business Panel

  • Jochen Koester, IMCOPA, Brazil / Switzerland: GM-free soybean imports and availability
  • Josef Jacobi, Upländer Bauernmilch, Germany: GMO-free milk, a dairy experience
  • Andreas Swoboda, Tegut supermarkets, Germany: A retailer’s responsibility in the region
  • Sonia Scaramagli, Coop italia: Comsumer strategies to defend GM free Regions and small business

11:30 – 12:30 Parallel workshops and presentations

  • B1 – Plants for the future – research and visions for tomorrow’s agriculture
  • B2 – Outcrossing, contamination and co-existence – state of science and experience
  • B3 – Trans-Regional co-operation and organisation
  • B4 – Seed protection and GM free seed supply
  • B5 – The EU GM approval and co-existence debate and policy

13:30 – 15:00 Plants for the future – different visions of tomorrow’s bio-economy

  • Florianne Koechlin, Blauen Institute, Switzerland
  • Felix Prinz zu Löwenstein, president, organic producers and processors association BOELW, Germany
  • Maria Riccardo Russu, Tuscan Regional Agency for Development and Innovation in Agriculture, Italy
  • Christophe Bonneuil, Fondation Sciences Citoyennes, France

15:30 – 17:00 Concluding panel: The challenges ahead

  • Renaud Layadi, GMO-free Regional Governments Network
  • Estelle Delangle, Assembly of European Regions
  • Olivier Keller, Confederation Paysanne, France
  • Cinzia Scaffidi, Director of studies and research, Slow Food International, Italy
  • Hubert Weiger, Nature Protection Federation Bavaria and Agro-Alliance, Germany
  • David Cuming, Consumers International, UK
  • Helen Holder, Friends of the Earth Europe
  • Janusz Wojciechowski, Vize President of the European Parliaments committee for agriculture, Poland

17:00 Farewell

17:30 – 21:00 Film preview “We feed the world” with discussion and reception

  • At Delphi-Filmpalast in co-operation with Boje/Buck production, moderator: Renate Künast