Schedule 2013

AgroForum Balticum – Food and Agricultural Potential of the European Region

17th – 20th April 2013

Venue: Estonian University of Life Sciences (EMU); Assembly Hall, Kreutzwaldi St. 1, Tartu

Language: English and Russian are the official languages of the conference. Simultaneous translation from Russian to English and English to Russian is provided.

 

Conference program

Wednesday, April 17

Arrivals at Tallinn, Riga or Tartu

15. 00 – 19.00  Pre-conference excursions (´a 1 h), exact time will be clarified and announced depending on participants.

Option 1

Pre-Conference tour of the Estonian University of Life Sciences (pre-registration needed)

Option 2

Sightseeing tour in Tartu old town (Russian) (pre-registration needed)

Option 3

Sightseeing tour in Tartu old town (English) (pre-registration needed)

19.30 – 21.00   Reception in Tartu Town Hall, welcome by mayor of Tartu. 

 

Thursday, April 18

Registration desk open from 08.30

08.30– 09.30    Registration and Coffee

09.30 – 11.30   Welcome words and Opening Plenary (EMU main building (Kreutzwaldi 1A), Assembly Hall)

           Welcome by rector of Estonian University of Life Sciences Mr Mait Klaassen

   Welcome by Estonian Minister of Agriculture Mr Helir-Valdor Seeder

   Key speakers:

   Mr Ren Wang (Assistant Director General of FAO) "FAO’s contribution to the Food and Agricultural Potential of the Balticum Region"

   Ms Carmel Cahill (OECD Trade and Agriculture Directorate) "Agricultural Potential in the Baltic Region –Aligning policies with needs"

   Ms Loretta Dormal Marino (Deputy Director General, Directorate-General Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission) "Addressing challenges of agriculture and rural areas in the EU and outside its borders – ENPARD"

11.30- 12.00     Coffee break and walk to the Fair

12.00 - 13.30    Opening of the Agricultural Fair; Tour of the Agricultural Fair

13.30 – 14.30    Lunch

14.30 – 16.00    Plenary continues with Session 1, Round tables in respective rooms*

16.00 – 16.30    Coffee break

16.30 – 17.30    Workshop summaries and chairman's summary (Main building, Assembly Hall)

19.30 – 24.00    Conference Dinner in Restaurant "Atlantis"

 

* Round tables in 3 groups on Thursday, April 18th:

Group 1               Political representatives and officials (Forestry building (Kreutzwaldi 5), Council Hall)

Moderator: Estonian Minister of agriculture Mr Helir-Valdor Seeder

Topics to be discussed:

  • Self-sufficiency, export potential, utilization of resources, preservation of environment
  • Insurance against disasters and market collapse
  • Reforming policies
  • Trade restrictions
  • Subsidized inputs
  • Role of strategies

Group 2               Universities (main building (Kreutzwaldi 1A), Assembly Hall)

Moderator: Prof Rando Värnik (EMÜ)

  • Prof.dr.Antanas Maziliauskas (Aleksandras Stulginskis University, Lithuania) "New challenges for universities in future agriculture"
  • Prof. V. A. Efimov (St Petersburg State Agrarian university) "Sustainable development of rural areas: main factor in successful development of agricultural sector in 21st century"
  • Jari Pekka Kukkonen " Lean management – a simple way to sustainability" 

Group 3               Entrepreneurs, Producers, etc (Institute of Technology (Kreutzwaldi 56), business lounge)

Moderator: Mr Roomet Sõrmus (Estonian Chamber of Agriculture and Commerce)

  • Prospects of cereal markets - Mr Indrek Aigro (Copenhagen Merchants, www.copmer.dk)
  • Prospects of milk production - Mr Margus Muld (Trigon Dairy Farming, www.trigondairy.com)
  • Building Strategic grain reserves: Ukraine's prospects for globalization - Mr Valerii Zhuk (Ukrainian Academy of Agrarian Sciences)
  • Resource effective management in agricultural sector: a basis for competitiveness and cross-border partnership - Mr. Vladimir Maslov (Maslov consulting)

 

Friday, April 19

8.30 – 9.30      Registration for second day and welcoming coffee

09.30 – 11.00   Session 2 (Main building, Assembly Hall)

Sergii Kvasha (Ukrainian Academy of Agrarian Sciences) "The State of Food Insecurity in the World and the food reserves of Ukraine"

Jan Agri (DeLaval International AB) “Sustainable Dairy Farming”

Martin Rand (VitalFields) "Increasing yields through knowledge"

11.00 – 11.30   Coffee break

11.30 – 13.30   Session 3 (Main building, Assembly Hall)

Prof Nikolai Poljanski (Saint-Petersburg State Agrarian University) "Cross-border cooperation in the Agro-industrial complex (APK)"

Prof Laura Alakukka (University of Helsinki, Finland) "Innovation and teaching in agriculture"

Natalja Liba (Estonian University of Life Sciences) "Our university's experiences on cooperation with Kazakhstan"

Introductive presentation by Anastasia Knor (Archimedes Foundation) "Co-operation with third countries under EU higher education programmes"

Round table for Group 2 (Universities) on possible future co-operation activities (Programs like BOVA, NOVA, ERASMUS Mundus, Nordplus, etc.) (Main building, Assembly Hall) 

Summary of workshops and Farewell.

13.30 – 14.30   Lunch

Excursions (will take place if atleast 10 persons are registered). Preliminary registration is required. 

Option 1: Tartu - Grüne Fee (gardening farm) - Tartu Mill - Tartu. Bus leaves at 14:30 from main building entrance. 

Option 2: Tartu - AS Põltsamaa Felix (food production plant) - E-piim (dairy production plant) - Tallinn. Bus leaves at 11.00 from main building entrance. The bus will return to Tartu in the evening. 

Option 3: Tartu - Nopri farm dairy (small-scale dairy farm and production) - Taarapõllu farm (small-scale organic food production farm) - Tartu. Bus leaves at 11.00 from main building entrance. 

Optional tour of the University (pre-registration needed)

For those whose plane leaves Tallinn or Riga in the Friday afternoon: excursions in the morning at 11.00 (pre-registration needed; will take place if atleast 10 persons are registered)

 

 

Saturday April 20

Departure

 

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