Agriculture at the crossroad, November 25-26, 2009

In the last decades, the agricultural and food system is under major changes and shaping into the new world agricultural map. Increased of urbanization (change of demographic map), fast growing of modern retail, concern on food safety and health, combined with the demand for biofuels are changing the whole scape of global demand for agricultural commodities. Responding to the new demand, increasing number of biotech products and processes have been invented, and commercialized. The presence of those varieties, for example, have attracted public attention and stirred public debates. At the same time plant biotechnologies are evolving in new and promising directions, such as the production of enriched foods, pharmaceuticals and industrial goods. Climate change and environmental problems are constraining and adding to the relevance issues on the change in supply side. Additionally, the current financial crisis and recent food price crisis also provided a further realization that the new global agricultural map is indeed will be totally different. Important policy questions regarding public research system design and conduct are emerging. What is the new world agricultural map likely to be in the next decade? What kind of opportunities and threats lies ahead for Indonesia in the competitive setting? What is the countrie's comparative advantages? The food security and new policy also become a major issue need to be discussed.
As part of the Golden Jubilee Celebration, the Faculty of Agriculture Padjadjaran University is organising the international conference capturing the above important issues an title “Agriculture at the Crossroad” in beautifull city of Bandung, on November 25-26, 2009. The conference will focus on the following topics:

1. Future Cultivation Technology and Molecular Farming
2. Breeding and Seed Production Technology
3. Climate Change, Environment and Biodiversity
4. Land and Water Resources Management
5. Food Policy, Market, Safety and Security
6. Bioenergy

The Conference will include:

• paper presentation
• round tables
• poster display
• product expo

The conference invites well known speakers in their respected area. Currently they are under confirmation. The program updates is available on the conference web page. The current invited speakers are:

• Prof. Watanabe (Tsukuba University)-Biodiversity and Transgenic Technology
• Prof. Peter Timmer (Center for Global Development)—Food Policy
• Prof. Thomas Reardon (Michigan State University) – International Agribussiness
• Prof. G.S. Khush (California University) – Plant Breeding
• Prof. Bert Visser (Center of Genetic Resources, Netherland) – Biodiversity
• Prof. Elke Pawelzik (Goettingen University) – Food Technology
• Prof. Robert Lawn (James Cook University) – Agronomy
• Prof. Randy Stringer (Adelaide University) – Agricultural Economics