To suscribers,
Some of you might be interested in the message below (also attached here).
The Cuban Group of Organic Agriculture is one of the winners of last year's
Alternative Nobel Prize.
Judith Cherni
Organic Agriculture Group - ACTAF
IV NATIONAL MEETING, May 1999
10-16 Field tours
14-16 Field days
17-19 IV Meeting
20-24 International courses
EXPO – CUBA, Havana city, Cuba
T
he Organic Agriculture Group of the Cuban Association of Agricultural and
Forestry Technicians (ACTAF), in coordination with the Ministry of
Agriculture and the National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP), announce
the IV National Meeting of Organic Agriculture at EXPO-CUBA in Havana city,
from 17 to 19 May 2000.
The IV Meeting will examine the contribution of organic agriculture and
agroecology to the transformation of cuban agriculture towards sustainable
rural development. All interested parties are invited to share a few days
of reflection and exchange of experiences.
The following activities will be undertaken during the days before and
after the event:
Study Tours (10 - 16 May)
Three study tours will be carried out simultaneously, in which the
participants will get to know and exchange experiences of organic
agriculture throughout the whole country:
Tour Price of package
West: Pinar del Río, La Habana, Ciudad de La Habana and Matanzas $ 530.00 USD
Centre: Cienfuegos, Sancti Spíritus and Villa Clara $ 530.00 USD
East: Santiago de Cuba, Granma, Las Tunas and Holguín $ 680.00 USD
The package includes: inscription, visits, transport by air or overland,
accommodation, food and educational guide.
In each region the visitors will encounter Agroecological Lighthouses,
advances in research and teaching of various institutions, organic compost
production, cooperatives, individual campesinos, state farms, urban
agriculture, and Centres for the Reproduction of Entomophagens and
Entomopathogens (CREE). Further, it is planned to make stays in eco-tourism
centres which will allow the participants to enjoy the natural wonders,
historic and recreational places of the country. To round-off the tour,
the results of the journey will be discussed, a report will be made, and
one representative of each group will present this at the IV National
Meeting.
Field days (14 - 16 May)
For the people who do not participate in the Study Tour and who will arrive
in the country before the start of the event, Field Days have been
programmed to take place in the provinces of Habana and Cuidad de la
Habana, which cover the following themes: urban agriculture, biological
control (CREE), compost production in the city, integrated livestock-crop
production systems, animal traction, community food production and
conservation, ‘green’medicine production, and visits to research, teaching
and agricultural cooperative centres (UBPC, CPA and CCS).
Inscription cost: $ 40 USD
(Includes transport, visits to places of interest, lunch and educational
guide).
IV Meeting (17 - 19 May)
17 May: Cuban campesino day
18 May: Natural food production day
19 May: Organic marketing day
In the Meeting, priority will be given to the formation of participatory
panels and conferences through plenary sessions.
Topics of the panels and conferences
Cuba in the world of Sustainable Agriculture: P. Rosset - USA, Linda
Bullard - IFOAM, A. Gutiérrez - Cuba, F. Funes - Cuba
Support for sustainable rural development in Latin America and the
Caribbean: M. Altieri - Chile, A. Wehrle - Paraguay, A. Yurjevich - Chile,
E. Byer - Trinidad & Tobago, E. Muñoz - Cuba
Urban agriculture: The Cuban experience of urban food production: A.
Rodríguez Nodals - Cuba, E. Fúster - Cuba, J. Smith – U.N., Catherine
Murphy - USA
Integrated systems of livestock/crop production, the agro-ecological
ideal?: P. Gómez - Argentina, R. Venegas - Chile, Marta Monzote - Cuba,
Fernando Funes Monzote - Cuba
Contributions of the small farmer and campesino agriculture to agroecology
and food security in the tropics: R. Bunch - Honduras, E. Kolmans -
Germany, Mavis Alvarez - Cuba
Production potential and market tendencies for organic products with
emphasis on Latin America and the Caribbean: A. Compagnoni - Italy, P. Rice
– USA, M. País - Argentina, A. Morín - Cuba, E. Cuesta - Cuba
Promotion of organic agriculture: Methods and techniques for research,
training and extension: N. Roling - Netherlands, Ofelia Cobas - México,
Angeles Parra - Spain, L. García - Cuba, L. Sánchez - Cuba, L. Chirino - Cuba
Economics and sustainability: socioeconomic validation of agroecological
techniques. A. Nova - Cuba, Niurka Pérez - Cuba, Lucy Martín - Cuba
Conservation and recuperation of soil fertility: Ana María Primavesi -
Brazil, T. Caldas - Brazil, Eolia Treto - Cuba, M. Riverol - Cuba
Biodiversity and biotic regulation: Robin Francis - Australia, Clara
Nichols - Colombia, Nilda Pérez - Cuba
Organic agriculture as the vanguard of the 21st Century: Actual situation
in Cuba: Presentation by the participants of the Study Tours to different
regions of the country.
Short works will be presented as oral presentations and posters.
Summaries of the short works should have as a maximum 500 words, including
title, authors, institution, methodology, results, conclusions, and should
include 1-2 tables or figures which complement the information. Send the
work in Word format. The posters will be given a space of 1 m2 for each
exhibitor. They should show the address and means of communication with the
authors. The deadline for submission of summaries is 25th January 2000, and
the selection by the Organising Committee will be communicated after 25th
February.
During the days of the Meeting, there will be opportunity for exhibitions
by institutes, organisations, commerce and certifiers who are interested in
presenting their products and services in EXPO-ORGANICA. There will be open
sessions for an exchange of experiences between delegates, organisations
and institutions with these interests.
One room will permanently screen videos. Those interested to show their
videos should send the title and duration time in order that a schedule may
be formed. The tapes should be in VHS format.
In the plenary sessions of the event, an optional service will be provided
for simultaneous translation spanish-english, if previously requested to
the Organising Committee.
Cost of inscription:
Cuban delegates: $ 100.00 MN
Foreign delegates: $ 120.00 USD
Cuban students: $ 60 MN
Foreign students: $ 80 USD
Includes: participation in the event, basic materials and documents,
lunches, welcoming cocktail and closing dinner.
Courses (20-24 May)
The IV International Course on Organic Agriculture has the objective of
complementing the tours and meeting, and its character will be eminently
practical – facilitating the debate and the exchange of experiences.
The I Course in Commercialisation of Organic Products aims to continue the
efforts to form certifiers in Latin America. The topics will bring
participants up-to-date with the themes of standards, certification and
marketing of organic production.
Both courses will be given by teachers, researchers, Cuban producers and
foreigners of international prestige.
Cost of inscription: $ 120.00 USD
Includes: educational material, lunches and transport.
Tourist packet
A special packet has been made for the event, with preferential prices, to
include reception at José Martí Airport, translation to hotel and
conference activities, accommodation, breakfast and dinner, trip to the
historic centre of Cuidad de la Habana, and specialist guide services.
Hotel Double Rm. (USD) Single Rm. (USD)
Mariposa $ 250.00 $ 320.00
Neptuno $ 382.00 $ 505.00
Habana Libre Tryp $ 615.00 $ 815.00
Residencia Estudiantil $ 200.00 -
For more details of each of the activities, please consult the webpage:
http://www.foodfirst.org or contact the following people:
General Information
Ing. Marta Pérez Pérez
Executive Secretary
Grupo de Agricultura Orgánica - ACTAF
Apartado Postal 4029 C.P. 10400
Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba
Tel/Fax: (537)845387
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Travel Agents
Lic. Roberto Rosado Delgado
Commercial Director
Agencia de Viajes MERCADÚ
Fax: (537)333028
Tel: (537)333893/333273/662898
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
Ing. Nelson Díaz Concepción
Commercial Director MERCADÚ-UNAH
Tel/Fax: (537)240942
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Headquarters and Exhibition
Lic. Magdalena Rodríguez Chávez
Events Organiser EXPOCUBA
Tel: (537)454100/446251-59
Fax: (537)335438
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Study Tours and Field Days
Lic. Ricardo Reyes Veiga
Comercial Agropecuaria CATEC
Tel: (537)212164/212064
Fax: (537)666071
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Organising Committee
Honorary Presidents
Rosa Elena Simeón Negrín, Ministry CITMA
Alfredo Jordán Morales, Ministry of Agriculture
Orlando Lugo Fonte, President ANAP
Executive President
Fernando Funes A.,
Resp. Grupo Agricultura Orgánica - ACTAF
Executive Secretary
Marta Pérez Pérez
Members
Mavis Alvarez, ANAP
Nelson Díaz, MERCADÚ-UNAH
Ricardo Reyes, CATEC
Magdalena Rodríguez, EXPO-CUBA
Guillermo Roca, International Relations, MINAGRI
Eulogio Muñoz, President Scientific Committee
Luis García, President Course Committee
Egidio Páez, President Tours and Field Days Committee
Fernando Funes Monzote, General Organisation
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