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Macfrut 2023: w centrum uwagi wyzwania stojące przed sektorem owoców i warzyw
The topics covered at the international trade fair (Rimini Expo Centre, 3-5 May) will include variety piracy, biosolutions and sustainability for medicinal plants.
At Macfrut 2023, to be held at the Rimini Expo Centre (Italy) from 3 to 5 May, events will be organised, during which the challenges facing and the main issues affecting the fruit and vegetable sector will be discussed.
Some of the topics that will be covered for the first time at this leading international event will include variety piracy, a scourge that has also been affecting fruit growing for many years. Although practically all new varieties are currently protected by national patents and EU plant variety property rights, new varieties have multiplied and an increasing number are being grown without authorisation. The estimated damage exceeds €20 million a year for Italy alone: this is endangering the entire fruit and vegetable supply chain and causing incalculable damage to production, leading to risks due to several diseases that have spread uncontrollably and causing material moral damage to plant breeders, producers and traders who operate in accordance with the law.
This issue will be analysed in detail during the ‘Hot topic table’ scheduled for Thursday 4 May at 1pm during the conference: ‘Promoting Varieties in Fruit Growing, between Messianic Expectations and Piracy: a Realistic Approach’, as part of the Plant Nursery Exhibition.
‘Developing a new plant variety,’ points out Stefano Lugli, coordinator of the Plant Nursery Exhibition, ‘is a lengthy process that involves a substantial investment. In the case of fruit trees, it takes an average of 10 to 15 years to bring a new cultivar to market, whereas for breeding projects, investments may exceed €100,000. But there are also extra costs involved, such as those for protection, genetic health certification and the resources to commercially develop the variety. As a matter of fact, creating and disseminating a new variety can cost €200,000 or even more. Under present law, granting plant breeders’ rights by paying royalties per plant, per area or on the marketed product, is a vital condition for ensuring that genetic improvement projects can continue, giving fruit growers the chance to grow new varieties that are more productive, resistant, resilient and of better quality.’
The Biosolutions International Event, an international exhibition dedicated to biosolutions, which include natural products for plant protection, plant nutrition and biostimulation, will be held once again this year during the three-day trade fair. On this occasion, major global companies, agricultural entrepreneurs, technicians and professionals operating in this dynamic sector, which is becoming increasingly important for the fruit and vegetable sector, will also be present.
‘Following the success of the previous editions,’ explains Camillo Gardini of Agri 2000, scientific coordinator of the Biosolutions International Event, ‘we have decided to continue along the path we have set for ourselves. Global consumers demand increasingly sustainable, high-quality fruit and vegetables and that agricultural practices be more environmentally friendly and respectful of the land. This event will be the perfect opportunity for participants to get together with leading sector professionals and examine the innovations that will enable us to protect and nourish our crops in the coming years.’
The Biosolutions International Event is divided into five parts, with activities for both exhibitors and visitors. First and foremost, an exhibition area will be centrally located in the exhibition centre (South Hall), dedicated to biocontrol, biostimulation and special nutrition products. The Biosolutions Innovation Award will return for the third consecutive year to award products that stand out for their distinctive innovative features. Once again, exclusively for exhibitors, technical round tables with agronomists will be organised, with a focus on five types of products: kiwifruit, citrus fruits, table grapes, olives and nuts. One-to-one meetings will also be available, offering the chance to engage in face-to-face dialogue with experts. The Biosolutions International Congress will also be held and will be attended by some of the largest kiwi producers in the world.
Another major event that has been confirmed at the trade fair in Rimini is the international conference organised by FIPPO (Italian Federation of Medicinal Plant Producers) on ‘Sustainability and Biodiversity in the International Medicinal Plant Trade’, scheduled for Thursday 4 May as part of the second edition of the Spices & Herbs Global Expo, the first exhibition in Europe dedicated to the world of spices, medicinal herbs and aromatic plants. For the first time, this ‘fair-within-a-fair’ will occupy the West wing of the Rimini Expo Centre with professionals from all over the world, technical workshops, and business meetings with foreign buyers during the three days of Macfrut. Participation in this conference is free of charge (to participate, please register here).
Speakers at the conference, moderated by Demetrio Benelli, Director of the magazine Erboristeria Domani, will include Ann Armbrecht (from the USA), Director of the Sustainable Herbs Program, Emily King (from England) of the FairWild Foundation, Akos Mathè from the University of Budapest, Pietro Fusani, researcher at the CREA (Council for Agricultural Research and Analysis of Agricultural Economics) in Trento, and Alfredo Battistini, Technologist at CREA and at the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies.
‘The 10th edition of the FIPPO Biennial Forum held at Macfrut last year was a success,’ explains Andrea Primavera, President of FIPPO, ‘which is why this year we will focus on several key topics in the sector: the sustainable production of medicinal plants, protecting biodiversity, and safeguarding the rights of traditional knowledge holders. The international conference scheduled for Thursday 4 May is meant to encourage discussion among leading international experts on the importance of building sustainable supply chains to procure spices, medicinal plants and aromatic plants. It is essential that we find a place to gather, to introduce ourselves and discuss sector-related topics, and to network so that we can tackle the challenges ahead of us.’Przeczytaj również:
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