‘Environmental labelling and certification initiatives in the agri-food sector – a way of marketing agricultural sustainability’

Ranco, Italy, 1 – 3 July 2008

Tuesday, 1 July

8:30 – 9:00      Registration

9:00 – 9:30      Welcome / Opening of the Summer Expert Meeting

Giovanni BIDOGLIO (Head of Rural, Water & Ecosystem Resources Unit, IES, JRC Ispra)

Presentation of the JRC

Objectives and programme of the Expert Meeting

SESSION 1   Overview of environmental labelling and certification initiatives in view of current challenges facing agriculture in Europe and worldwide

Chairperson: Katarzyna BIAŁA

9:30 – 10:15    The EU systems for protected food names

Gesa WESSELER (European Commission, DG Agriculture)

10:15 – 10:35 COFFEE BREAK

10:35 – 11:20 Environmental labelling initiatives in the agri-food sector: evidence from developing countries

Ulrike GROTE (Institute for Environmental Economics and World Trade, Leibniz University, Hannover, Germany)

11:20 – 11:50 The Future of Agriculture - The balance between Food and Environmental Security

Mark THOMASIN-FOSTER (President of European Landowners’ Organization, Brussels, Belgium)

11:50 – 12:30 DISCUSSION

12:30 – 14:00 LUNCH

SESSION 2   Case studies from Europe

14:00 – 14:30 Organic label (UK)

Jonathan TROTH (Soil Association Certification Ltd, Bristol, United Kingdom)

14:30 – 15:00 Dehesa (Spain)

Guy BEAUFOY (European Forum on Nature Conservation and Pastoralism, Spain)

15:00 – 15:30 Uelije olive oil (Italy, transboundary label with Slovenia)

Josef PARENTE (ERSA – Agenzia regionale per lo sviluppo rurale, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy)

15:30 – 16:00 Carinthia – Genuss region (Austria)

                        Peter RAMSPACHER (Joanneum Research, Graz, Austria)

16:30 – 17:00 COFFEE BREAK

17:00 – 17:30  Union brewery in Ljubljana and bottling company of Droga Kolinska in Rogaška Slatina (Slovenia)

Branka TRČEK (Geological Survey of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia)

17:30 – 18:15 DISCUSSION

Wednesday, 2 July

Chairperson: Josef PARENTE

SESSION 3   Case studies from Europe (continued)

9:00 – 9:30      Idiazabal cheese (Spain, Basque country)

Miriam MOLINA MESTANZA (Idiazabal Cheese DOP, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain)

9:30– 10:00     Oscypek cheese from the Tatra Mountains (Poland)

                        Jacek SZKLAREK (Slow Food, Poland)

10:00 – 10:30 COFFEE BREAK

10:30 – 11:00 Parco del Ticino (Italy)

Claudio DE PAOLA (Parco Lombardo della valle del Ticino, Italy)

11:00 – 11:30 DISCUSSION

SESSION 4 Technical visit to Parco del Ticino and farms in the region

11:45   Departure for Parco del Ticino

            (lunch will be served on the bus)

19:00   SOCIAL DINNER 

Thursday, 3 July

SESSION 4 Round table

Chairperson: Jean-Michel TERRES

9:00 – 9:30  Grenelle initiative (France)

                     Philippe POINTEREAU (SOLAGRO, Toulouse, France)

9:30 – 10:30  DISCUSSION

10:30 – 11:00 COFFEE BREAK

11:00 – 12:30 DISCUSSION (continued)

12:30 – 14:00 LUNCH

14:00 – 16:00 FINAL CONCLUSIONS