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First International Agarwood Conference
A joint Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City (VNU HCMC) -
TRP conference and workshop on Sustainable development of Agarwood and related
issues will be held in November 2003 in Ho Chi Minh-City and An Giang-province, Viet
Nam. The conference will bring together stakeholders concerned with
conservation, exploitation, trade, use and development of Agarwood [products],
in order to examine the potential for agro-forestry, market and regulatory
mechanisms, Aquilaria in-situ conservation, Agarwood community development close
to and in Aquilaria habitat, and sustainability of supplies.
First Announcement
WOOD OF THE GODS
First International Agarwood Conference
Ho Chi Minh City & An Giang Province, Vietnam
November 10 - 15, 2003
INTRODUCTION
Aquilaria trees producing Agarwood, one of the worlds rarest and most valuable
natural products, are in danger of extinction. Worldwide deposits in natural
forests, presently the only source of this valuable resinous wood, used for
incense, perfume and medicine, are running out; yet demand continues to rise.
The Rainforest Project Foundation (TRP) a Dutch based organization has been
working for more than seven years to find a way to reverse this trend by
designing methods to produce Agarwood in a sustainable way. Using donations and
European Commission funds they have succeeded in establishing plantation-based
Agarwood in Vietnam and developing technologies to accelerate resin development
in Aquilaria trees. TRP believes their approach provides a viable alternative to
the present destructive harvesting and a methodology to save the Aquilaria
species for future generations.
TRP in association with the National University of Ho Chi Minh City, An Giang
University and the University of Minnesota has decided to organize the First
International Agarwood conference with a view to sharing their experiences with
others involved in the production, processing, marketing and trade of this
highly prized natural product known in ancient literature as Wood of the Gods
In order to present advances in science and commerce in all fields related to
Agarwood, exchange ideas and formulate solutions, the organizers would like to
invite scientists, business representatives, government officials, and others
who have a professional interest in Agarwood to attend this First International
Agarwood Conference.
The meeting will include presentations by leading international research
scientists and businessmen from Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the United
States as well as a two-day field trip. This trip will be to the Mekong delta,
location of an on-going Agarwood development project implemented by TRP and its
local and international counterparts. Site visits will be organized to a TRP
nursery, local farmer managed project plantations and Agarwood inducement
experiments. An informal workshop will follow in order to exchange ideas and
formulate future directions for Agarwood production, processing and marketing.
The Wood of the Gods conference will cover four main topics
A) Ecology and Cultivation of Aquilaria
Botany, Geography and Ecology of Aquilaria Genus
Propagation and Management of Aquilaria Trees
B) Sustainable Production Technology
Mechanisms of Agarwood Formation in Nature
Artificial Inducement of Resin in Plantation Grown Trees
Chemistry of Agarwood
C) Conservation and Legal Status
Protection of Natural Aquilaria Stands and Legal Issues
Community Participation in Sustainable Agarwood Production
D) Manufacturing and Sale of Sustainable Agarwood Products
World Markets for Agarwood Products
Price Trends, Marketing Strategy
Extraction Technology and Value-added Product Development
Packing, Labelling and Product Promotion
Additional information:
TRP is a non-profit making foundation. All delegate fees will go towards the
cost of running the conference and related development activities. The
registration fees will be announced in the second circular.
TRP and its associates would be happy to consider additional sponsors. Such
sponsors would be requested to share in the financial costs of running the
meeting. If interested please contact the email address given below.
English will be the official language of the symposium but interpreters in Japanese, Arabic and Vietnamese will be on hand to assist delegates from
these regions. A conference steering committee will design the program and
select speakers.
Please feel free to share this announcement with others
More details on the Agarwood conference will follow later. If you want to be on
the mailing list or you want to apply, please contact <
Conference@Agarwood.org.vn >
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