2008 Annual Conference

Is the objective for European Agriculture Food, or Environmental Security, or both? Introduction by the Chair

• Franz FISCHLER, former EU Agriculture Commissioner, Chairman of the RISE Foundation, Conference Chair

Keynote address

• Jos DELBEKE, Deputy Director General, DG Environment, EC

Agriculture & the question of food security

Panel Chair – Neil PARISH, MEP

What do we mean by food security?

• John BENSTED-SMITH, Director for Economic Analysis, Perspectives & Evaluations, DG Agriculture, EC

Who has food security?

• Stefan TANGERMANN, Director, Food, Agriculture & Fisheries, OECD

How can food security be achieved?

• Timothy HALL, Acting Director of Biotechnology, Agriculture and Food Research, DG Research, EC

Plenary debate

Agriculture and the question of environmental security – meeting the Eco-System Challenge

Panel Chair – Nigel ARNELL Director, Walker Institute for Climate Systems Research, University of Reading, UK

The case for European food & environmental security policy

• Allan BUCKWELL, Chief Economist, Country Land & Business Association

What is environmental security for?

• Michael HAMELL, Head of Unit, Agriculture, Forest, and Soil, DG Environment, EC

What are the main eco-system challenges?

• John FINISDORE, Business & Ecosystems Researcher, World Resources Institute

How can environmental security be achieved?

• Tamas MARGHESCU, Regional Director, Europe, IUCN, BE

Plenary debate

Case studies: bringing together production and environment

What does Europe need from agriculture?

Panel Chair – Winfried BLUM President European Confederation of Soil Science Societies (ECSSS)

Perspective from the agri-food industry

• Willem-Jan LAAN, European External Affairs Director, Unilever

Perspective from the food chain

• Soren SCHRÖDER, Director General, VP Bunge Europe Agribusiness

Perspective from the environment

• Clairie PAPAZOGLOU, Director, Birdlife International

Perspective from rural development

• Corrado PIRZIO-BIROLI, CEO, RISE Foundation

Plenary debate

Can agriculture deliver what Europe needs?

Panel Chair – Andrew BOUNDS, Journalist, Financial Times

Do we have the people?

• Pekka PESONEN, Secretary-General, Copa-Cogeca

Do we have the natural resources?

• Thierry de L’ESCAILLE, CEO, European Landowners’ Organization

Do we have the technology?

• John ATKIN, Member of the Syngenta Executive Committee & Chief Operating Officer (Crop Protection), Syngenta

Funding for agriculture

• François d’ORMESSON, Administrator & General Manager, Phitrust Active Investors Portfolio

Plenary debate

Can we make the political case for food and environmental security?

PART A – THE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE
Moderator – Elaine CRUIKSHANKS, CEO, Hill & Knowlton International, Belgium

Debating: Robert STURDY, MEP

• Friedrich-Wilhelm Graefe zu BARINGDORF, MEP
• Janusz WOJCIECHOWSKI, MEP

PART B – PANEL DISCUSSION

Perspective of the Slovenian Presidency

• Branko RAVNIK, Director General, Slovenian Ministry of Agriculture

Perspective of the European Commission

• Daniele BIANCHI, Member of Commissioner FISCHER-BOEL’s Cabinet

Perspective of the Member States

• Paolo de CASTRO, Italian Minister of Agriculture

Is there an emerging consensus on the objectives for European Agriculture in the 21st Century, and what are the next steps

Audience survey (via electronic polling)

Conclusions & next steps
By Conference Chair:

• Franz FISCHLER, former EU Agriculture Commissionner