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"Which Plants for Peasant agricultures?: Seminary on Plant Breeding Methods" France December 6-7, 2007

"Which Plants for Peasant agricultures?: Seminary on Plant-breeding Methods"
 
 
Organisers: Peasants' Seeds Network (France), Confédération Paysanne (France) and other partners
Date: December 6-7, 2007
Venue: Clermont Ferrand, France
 
 
Seminary Description:


Before the arrival of GMOs, plant improvement through modern cultivation
and breeding techniques has been contested but only on the margins.  With
GMOs and more recently mutated plants and the various projects of
synthetic biology, this controversy now enters the public debate: the
claimed and often unverified performance no longer compensates for the
loss of confidence in the modern « productivist » agriculture they have
given rise to, and following the numerous « sanitary » crises, many
citizens demand the right to question science.  They question it on the
advantages and inconveniences of these methods for peasants and society
from agronomic, social, economic, nutritional and sanitary perspectives as
well as in relation to food sovereignty and biodiversity erosion …


Indeed, breeding methods that are more respectful of the living world,
biodiversity and the integrity of plants do exist and they have remarkable
results.  Practiced mainly by peasants and researchers usually from the
public sector, very well developed in the South and in Germany and
Switzerland by organic breeders, these initiatives are gaining new terrain
in France under the framework of peasant and participatory breeding.


The French Peasants’ Seeds Network (RSP), the French Peasants’
Confederation (Confédération Paysanne), the Trade Union of Biodynamic
Agriculture, Nature & Progrès, the collective OGM 63 and other partner
organisations wish to deepen these questions and the answers to them.
Strongly supporting dialog between scientists and practitioners, they wish
to organize  a seminary entitled "Which Plants for Peasant Agricultures?:
Seminary on Plant-Breeding Methods". The seminary's objective is to foster
reflection and exchanges on modern breeding techniques integrating peasant
participation and respect for plants.


Please note, that the seminary's languages will be in English and French
(simultaneous translation).
 
 
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