Message-ID: <319204B0.170B@rodaleinst.org> Date: Thu, 9 May 1996 14:44:00 +0000 From: Jennifer Abel <mailto:jabel@RODALEINST.ORG> Subject: sust. ag conference in Russia To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
I was asked to post the follwoing message about a sustainable agriculture conference scheduled to take place in Irkutsk in October. The organization sponsoring the conference is looking for US farmers who would be interested in participating. Please respond directly to William Mueller. His e-mail is mailto:0006813571@mcimail.com. Feel free to post this message on other listservers that might be interested in the anouncement.
REAP International William Mueller Director 1427 4th Street SW Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404
Telephone (319) 366-4230 Fax (319) 366-2209 Notice Sustainable Agriculture Farming Conference Irkutsk, Siberia October 10 to 19, 1996
REAP International has been requested by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Irkutsk Oblast and the President of the Irkutsk Farmers Union to conduct a conferen
t in this conference. Russian participants will include the membership of the Irkutsk Farmers Union (1,600 farmers), educators, researchers, environmentalist
The Ministry will pay all the local expenses of American participants, including four days of stays on local farms, conference costs and an excursion to Lake
rms, seeing the farm and hearing the concerns of real farmers, before convening a formal conference.
American participants will have to fund transportation to the lake, including expenses in getting through Moscow. Total cost from Chicago to Baikal, including
n to Buryatia for a second conference.
Background
In March 1995 REAP conducted a conference in Irkutsk hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture. This conference was extremely well received. In making their offer
American participants will find the challenges facing their Russian counterparts to be enormous. The survival strategies which we have developed in the pas
haring and marketing. It includes coalition building between the farm and nonfarm sectors of the society. The same kinds of tension is rising at Lake Baikal.
Farming is viewed as a problem by many Russians who care about the welfare of Lake Baikal. Poor management practices on State and private farms are contributin
plowing, winter cover crops or adequate crop rotations.
In the future, regulation of farming will grow more intense. The pressure to farm in environmentally safe ways will be intensified. The question is -- which f
ith environmentalists, scientists and others to approach this problem holistically, and with an organized plan of attack. If they do not do this, others will
Interested persons should contact: Bill Mueller, REAP International, 1427 4th Street SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404, (319) 366-4230; Fax. (319) 366-2209.