BCPC links crop production to food at Glasgow conference
07/08/06

"Key aspects of highly topical issues relating to global food production and trade will be the main focus of this year's British Crop Production Council (BCPC) International Conference, Crop Science & Technology which will once again be held at the SECC, Glasgow, UK from 23 to 25 October 2006," reveals Dr T Clark, conference chairman.

The BCPC Conference and Exhibition
- an ideal meeting place for the global crop production industry

“Risk assessment is increasingly important in global food production and the acceptability of probabilistic methodology is viewed very differently throughout the world. How risks are assessed and managed are therefore very relevant at the political level. Not only that, but the factors influencing global food supply, from an import and export perspective, and how we manage sustainable food at a global level are important issues in today’s society,” continues Dr Clark. “Furthermore, Europe is experiencing water shortages and protecting such resources, including soil, is vital in terms of maintaining fertile agricultural land. All these issues blend together to offer delegates a conference that focuses on essential issues of vital importance if we are to maintain and improve global supplies with due concern for consumer safety and the environment.”

“Over the two-and-a-half days of the conference, there will be seven stand-alone sessions,” explains Chris Todd, BCPE managing director. “BCPC has constructed the programme and registration options so as to offer delegates total flexibility – delegates can mix and match which sessions they attend.”

In 2005, BCPC organised a highly successful commercial seminar for those in the contract research sector. Many attendees asked for this area to be explored again in 2006 so a further seminar on ‘Outsourcing Agrochemical Development Work’, will take place on 24 October to consider the drivers shaping outsourcing in the 21st century.

An international marketplace

The conference sessions are only one aspect of this annual BCPC event. The BCPC exhibition is an ideal shop window for organisations involved in servicing the crop production industry. As Colin Ruscoe, the BCPC exhibition director, explains. “The growing attraction of the exhibition for new product launches is evident, particularly in the fast-growing plant health sector. In 2005, companies in this sector grew to over 10% of the exhibition. New products at this year’s exhibition include plant stress reducing agents, foliar feeds, mineral uptake enhancers as well as biologically-based formulation additives. And with booked exhibitors from over 15 countries, this is a truly international event.”

At the BCPC conference, product and service providers will be able to meet customers it would take many months to visit. It is the ideal event to network and hold business meetings and as a result of this increased demand, BCPC has organised more hospitality suites at local hotels and meeting booths in Exhibition Hall 5 of the SECC.

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