Almost 130 participants, speakers from around the world and a regional group of TIPI in China founded: The first Organic Science Day & Technology Innovation Forum in China was held successfully on May 27^th in Shanghai, China, in conjunction with the organic trade fair BIOFACH CHINA 2016. This day is a successful product of TIPI, the Technology Innovation Platform of IFOAM – Organics International.
 

Main speakers and part of the attendees of the TIPI Science Day at China (All photos: Armin Müller).

(June 16, 2016) It was the first Organic Science Day & Technology Innovation Forum in China. In the morning session, invited speakers from around the world as well as agricultural leaders in China gave their talks. In the afternoon a charter meeting of a regional Chinese group of TIPI, the Technology Innovation Platform of IFOAM - Organics International was held. This meeting was followed by a tour to Tony’s Farm, an organic vegetable producer that runs a box scheme in the Shanghai area.

Sixteen speakers from China and around the world

During the morning, sixteen speakers, from China and around the world, delivered presentations that focused on four topics: Organic agricultural policy and strategy; research and innovation; application of technology, methods and tools in organic farming; and future perspectives. Almost 130 attendees showed great interest in the different topics, representing a diversity of institutions including the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), universities, food producers, agricultural academies, investors, botanic gardens, certification bodies, as well as scientific researchers of traditional Chinese medicinal plants, and the media.

TIPI International council member, Dr Helga Willer from the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), introduced the global vision and strategy of TIPI to the audience.
 

On the right: Zejiang Zhou, president of IFOAM Asia, welcomed the audience. On the left: Professor Chengcai Chu from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

 
Petra Wolf, Executive Director of NürnbergMesse Group, during her opening address.

 
Markus Arbenz, Executive Director of IFOAM - Organics International.

 
Dr. Helga Willer from FiBL Switzerland introduced the global vision and strategy of TIPI to the audience.

Thirty-five public and private institutions signed up – regional group of TIPI founded

In the afternoon session, the Chinese scientists, farmers, certifiers and food producers founded a regional group of TIPI in order to strengthen organic food and farming research in China. During the meeting, more than 50 attendees from 35 public and private institutions signed up as future members.

Petra Wolf, member of the Management Board at NürnbergMesse said in her opening speech, “The major aim of today’s TIPI Science Day is the foundation of TIPI regional China Group. I am very glad to see that TIPI is now about to extend its reach to the People’s Republic of China. This group will play a key part in fostering understanding and cooperation between TIPI members in China and the rest of the world, paving the way for intensified joint research and the transfer of technological innovations in organic farming.”

Dr Andrew Hammermeister, TIPI International council member, explained that the setting up of this new platform in China will enable the collaboration of organic stakeholders towards research and innovation in organic agriculture and will contribute to the sustainability goals of the Chinese agricultural policy. Professor Weicai Yang, of the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (IGDB), took over the responsibility as coordinator of the Chinese group of TIPI and will prepare the next steps.

Markus Arbenz, Executive Director IFOAM - Organics International, the international umbrella organisation for organic agriculture, welcomed the new gained momentum and concluded that a well collaborating organic scientific community in China is of outmost importance to address pressing environmental and social challenges caused through unsustainable agriculture practices.

The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) was the official host of the Science Day. Dr Qiyan Wang-Mueller, Swiss-Sino relationship coordinator at FiBL, organized the first TIPI Organic Science Day & Technology Innovation Forum at BIOFACH China 2016. The Forum was chaired by the President of IFOAM Asia, Mr Zejiang Zhou, and by Professor Dr Weicai Yang, the director of the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (IGDB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

Joint organic agricultural research centre with FiBL in China

Professor Weicai Yang introduced the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (IGDB) to the audience and announced that IDGB and the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) had signed a cooperation agreement to create a joint organic research centre at Changzhou in the Jiangsu Province. The new IGDB – FiBL Organic Centre will foster organic research and innovation.

Special thanks

The TIPI Organic Science Day & Technology Innovation Forum in China was made possible by the sponsorship of the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (IGDB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) Switzerland, NürnbergMesse China Co. Ltd., China Organic Food Certification Center, and Tony’s Farm, supported by Organic and Beyond Group China and Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants.

More information

FiBL contact

Qiyan Wang-Müller, Swiss-Sino relationship coordinator of the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) in Frick, Switzerland
qiyan.wang-mueller@fibl.org

Helga Willer, head of communication of the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and secretariat of TIPI, the Technology Innovation Platform of IFOAM – Organics International, Frick, Switzerland