CONFÉRENCE SUR L’AGROÉCOLOGIE ET LA BIODIVERSITÉ

Agriculture faces significant challenges while being in crisis. This crisis is at the same time economic, social, and environmental: How to feed the planet when agricultural productivity has stagnated for several years and that global warming is impacting agricultural production? How to provide farmers decent standard of living? How to meet these challenges while reducing damage to the environment? The modern agricultural model puts strong pressure on the environment and also on human health. The ecological transition of agriculture, in its societal dimension, is a necessity and many actors are looking for solutions to provide safe quality food, to a population that continues to grow, while ensuring better respect for nature.

Recent studies by INRA show that producing food following biological principles can be as effective as using chemicals to protect plants. In France, agroecology has been on the political agenda since 2012 when the « agro-ecological project for France » was launched. Agroecology is a way of designing production systems that rely on the functionality offered by ecosystems. It is a question of making maximum use of nature as a factor of production by maintaining its renewal capacities.

The purpose of this conference is to show how agroecology is an interesting way to respond to the agricultural food system challenges while ensuring respect for the environment, climate and biodiversity. The subject will be also discussed in the European framework (common agricultural policy …) and the French approach will be presented.

PROGRAM 

14.00: Welcome speeches

Hanne Leth Andersen, Rector Roskilde University

Caroline Ferrari, Ambassador of France to Denmark

14.15 Panel discussion

Ronan Uhel, European Environment Agency

« The EU situation: Agriculture, what damage on the Environment? Where do we stand? »

Prof. Alexander Wezel, ISARA Lyon

« What is agroecology? »

Stephane Bellon, Senior researcher INRA Avignon

« Agroecology in motion: its institutionalization in France »

Prof. Emmanuelle Porcher, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle

« The relationship between agriculture and biodiversity »

15:30 Q&A Session (30 minutes)

Moderator – Prof. Henrik Hauggaard-Nielsen, Roskilde University

16:00 Opening of the photos exhibition realized by Universcience (Public Library)

« Agriculture: towards the end of neonicotinoids? »

Neonicotinoids, the most widely-used insecticides in the world, are accused of major environmental damage, especially to bees. So how can we learn to do without these compounds?

Participation is free but registration is mandatory.

Sign up now by sending an email to : [email protected]