Current status of ESCORENA Network development
and the new strategy and emerging activities
FAO Round Table on Problems of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
03-05 April 2012, FAO REUT, Budapest, Hungary
.
Prof. Dr. Ryszard KOZŁOWSKI*, Ass. Prof. Dr. Cecilia Sirghie*,
M.Sc. Maria Mackiewicz-Talarczyk
FAO/ESCORENA – Coordination Center and ESCORENA Focal Point at Institute of Natural
Fibres and Medicinal Plants, Poznan, Poland
EUROPEAN COOPERATIVE RESEARCH NEWORK ON FLAX AND OTHER BAST PLANTS
*University of „Aurel Vlaicu”, Arad, Romania
The ESCORENA system under the
FAO auspices
ESCORENA -European System of Cooperative
Research Networks in Agriculture. Unique in
the whole world.
History:
The Seventh and Eighth FAO Regional Conferences for Europe
in 1971 and 1973
recommended the establishment of a system of voluntary
research cooperation under the auspices of FAO.
Main objectives of the ESCORENA
system
Basic purpose and main objectives of the ESCORENA
system, namely to:
• promote voluntary exchange of information and
experimental data on selected subject matters;
• support joint applied research;
• help to developing area of the globe to get higher added
value from agriculture, promoting „agro-fine” chemicals,
• facilitate voluntary exchange of persons, germplasm and
technologies;
• establish close links between European researchers and
institutions working on the same subject and to stimulate
interaction;
• accelerate the transfer of European technology advances
to, and cooperation with, developing countries.
FAO auspices
ESCORENA system
•
acts under the FAO auspices,
Served:
• by the Regional Office for
Europe in Rome, Italy from 1974
to 2007
• by the Regional Office for
Europe and Central Asia in
Budapest, Hungary from end of
2007
ESCORENA focal point since 2008
ESCORENA focal point at the Institute of Natural
Fibres and Medicinal Plants, Poznan, Poland
acting as the Coordination Centre of the European
Cooperative Research Network on Flax and other
Bast Plants.
Prof. Dr. Ryszard Michal Kozlowski coordinates the
activity of ESCORENA system focal point with a
help of:
• ESCORENA Secretary- Mrs. Maria MackiewiczTalarczyk
• web support provided by Dr. Jorge BarrigaBedoya.
Active ESCORENA Networks
The 20 ESCORENA Networks, which are
active in 2012 (in alphabetic order):
•
Agromarketing-coordinated by Belarus- Dr.
Olga Pashkievich
•
Apricot Network -coordinated by ArmeniaProf. Ara Hovhannisyan
•
Buffalo Network- coordinated by Italy – Prof.
Antonio Borghese
•
CENTAUR- Biomedical Technology,
Epidemilogy and Food Safety Networkcoordinated by Czech Republic – Profesor
Karel Hruska
.
Active ESCORENA Networks –cont.
•
Inter-regional Network on Cotton - coordinated by
Turkey – Prof. Oktay Gencer
•
FAW- Farm Animal Welfare Network, coordinated
by Slovak Republic - Dr. Rasto Kolesar, (World
Society for the Protection of Animals).
•
Flax and other Bast Plants Network- coordinated
by Poland- Prof. Ryszard M. Kozłowski
•
Museums- Network of Museums in Agriculture
within International Association of Agricultural
Museums (AIMA)
Active ESCORENA Networks- cont.
•
NACEE- Network of Aquaculture Centres in
Central-Eastern Europe –coordinated by
Hungary - Prof. László Váradi
•
NCDN-Capacity Development in Nutrition.
Thematic Knowledge Network Central and
Eastern Europe –coordinated by Serbia- Dr.
Mirjana Gurinovic and the team of the
Institute for Medical Research
•
Nut Network - coordinated by Spain- Dr. Merce
Rovira
•
Olives Network- coordinated by Spain- Dr.
Lorenzo Leon (represented by Dr. Juan
Caballero)
Active ESCORENA Networks-cont.
•
Organic Edunet - coordinated by Greece
•
Pastures & Fodders Network- coordinated by
Belgium- Dr. Alain Peeters
•
RAMIRAN Network- Research Network on
Recycling of Agricultural and Industrial
Residues in Agriculture-coordinated by Dr. Tom
Misselbrook -UK, and Jan Venglovsky, Slovak
Republic
•
Rice Interregional Network, coordinated by Dr
Aldo Ferrero, Italy
Active Networks-cont.
Sheep and Goats Network- coordinated by
France-Prof. Pierre Mohrand-Fehr (represented
by Dr. Hichem Ben Salem from Tunisia)
• Sunflower Network- coordinated by Dr. Sinisa
JOCIC, Dr. Dragana MILADINOVIC from Serbia,
and Dr. Yalcin KAYA from Turkey
• SREN- Sustainable Rural Environment and
Energy Network (SREN) – coordinated by Dr.
Thomas Lewis from Austria
The new, just created Network: on Medicinal and
Aromatic Plants, coordinator: to be nominated
http://www.agrowebcee.net/map/contact-us/
FAO Regional Roundtable on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
3-5 April 2012, Venue: FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central
Asia (REU), Budapest, Hungary
This meeting will provide possibility to discuss:
• 1. the joining the ESCORENA Family by the new
Network: on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants –
obviously such step is welcome!
• 2. How to contribute towards the creative
development of ESCORENA
Let’s put a question: are we facing the Crisis of ESCORENA?
To get the views from the Network’s Coordinators Maria TalarczykESCORENA secretary delivered on my behalf the Questionnaire
to all Networks
Results obtained by ESCORENA
Particular results were obtained in:
•
Partial exchange of germplasm, especially between
governmental organisations,
•
Supporting collection, conservation and utilisation of plant
genetic resources,
•
Permanent contribution and supporting the sustainable,
renewable natural resources,
•
Broad information about diversification of agricultural
production (e.g. use of marginal lands for non-food
agricultural production, such as flax, industrial hemp, kenaf
and other bast plants in industrially polluted areas)
•
Acting towards the development of sustainable production
systems for improvements in rural areas
Results obtained by ESCORENAcont.
• COOPERATION WITH DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
AND TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES
• Wide distribution of publications to institutions
and knowledge shearing from developed to
developing countries,
• the broader involvement of local researchers in
international cooperation, particularly if a
selected topic was of relevance to the host
country,
Publications
Scientific Bulletin of ESCORENA (major publication,
includes the articles of all Networks)
• The first issue –volume 1 was published in 2009 in
June as a special issue of the conference of Flax and
other Bast Plants Network in Arad, Romania.
•
Published as a book with ISSN, by the printing house of
the University „Aurel Vlaicu” of Arad.
•
Scientific Bulletin of ESCORENA, Volume 2, 3 and 4,
published as a book by printing house of the University
of Arad, linked to ESCORENA Website. Vol. 5-in the
press. Relevant link:
http://www.uav.ro/en/journals/scientific-bulletin-ofescorena
The publications (newsletters) of particular
ESCORENA Networks:
• a scientific refereed journal, Helia, published by the
Sunflower Network;
• network journals (Herba and Olea) published by the
Pastures and Fodder Crops and Olive Networks
respectively;
• newsletters: Buffalo, Euroflax – of the Flax and other
Bast Plants Network, Medoryzae, Nucis and Sheep and
Goat Contact.
The efforts to increase visibility of ESCORENA
ESCORENA Network is on the Wikipedia since some
months.
The link is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESCORENA
The Platform for Agrobiodiversity Research
Would be interested in learning more about the work of ESCORENA and
explore possible links and partnership.
Toby Hodgkin, Coordinator, Platform for Agrobiodiversity Research,
Secretariat c/o Bioversity International, Rome, Italy
www.agrobiodiversityplatform.org
New strategy for the future?
All proposals and remarks will be cordially
welcome and taken into consideration!!
We absolutelly are convinced about high and
very positive role of ESCORENA also for
European Union.
Why there are so many problems with financial
support for the ESCORENA activity?
Questions and requests to the Coordinators of
ESCORENA Networks
1.What do you think about the future of ESCORENA
(www.escorena.net), the usefulness of this system, Network of
Networks under auspices of FAO, about possibilities to make
ESCORENA more visible?
2. help us with your ideas how to support the activities of the
ESCORENA Focal Point, publishing next volumes of Scientific
Bulletin of ESCORENA (http://www.uav.ro/en/journals/scientificbulletin-of-escorena),
3. How to support editing the newsletters by the particular Networks
of ESCORENA?.
4. do you like to continue activities in the frame of ESCORENA as
ESCORENA Network coordinators? If not anymore (for any reasons),
please could you (as high ranking specialist in your field of activity)
indicate someone who could continue this activity on your behalf?
Questions and requests to the Coordinators of
ESCORENA Networks-cont.
5. How many participants are in your Network now?
6. Do you plan to bring the new experts and where can you find the
potential for the new members, especially young participants?
7. How you see possibility to join your professional activities with
ESCORENA activity?
8. What are your suggestions regarding strategy of ESCORENA,
about any economic support, better, more modern structure and
bringing new members and higher number of young people to be
able to develop and support ESCORENA activities in the future?
We requested answers up to 30.03.2012
We have got answers from some Networks’s Coordinators (Agromarketing,
Buffalo, Flax and other Bast Plants, Rice, Nuts,
Up to now we have got answers
from the following Networks:
 Flax and other Bast Plants: the Chairmen
M.Tubach, M. Pavelek
 Agromarketing
 Buffalo
 Nut
 Olive
 Sunflower
The contributions from the ESCORENA
Networks’
1. Martin Tubach, Reutlingen University, Germany – the chairman of
the WG Processing WG of the Flax and other Bast Plants Network
within ESCORENA, coordinated by myself.
Remarks - he wrote that: „we did not have information of any future planning how
to collect the people not only with knowledge but also with heart to ideas and lot
of personnel skills”.
Natural fibres - excellent example for emerging now bio - based economy. For
example in 2009/2010 annual turnover of bio - based products was greater than
2000 billion Euros and employ 21 million people.
Forecast for the growth – is bio-composites area, like bio-plastic, bio-packaging,
bio-lubricants and other Agenda 2020 EEC-Sustainable growth – promoting a
more resource efficient, greener and more competitive economies need
maximum use of renewable resources, we must create more efficient value
chain, processes and products - we need world food security, we must take over
global responsibility when we are using natural resources sustainably.
Conclusion: ESCORENA whole Network should develop clear
strategy to find some economic support, better than now, modern
structure and dynamic, passionate team, attracting also young
people with different ideas to join and support ESCORENA.
Problem:
The chairmen have no budget and no infrastructure. They have nothing to
share but only good ideas and some work. The job is not really attractive, only
for idealists at the moment. ”Cont. Member of WG (Working Group) must
confirm to be still a member (fee). Members must be involved with
ideas/preliminary agenda of WG. Members must select ideas and give them a
priority. Interim chief (chairman) must be confirmed by WG or new chief must
be proposed and elected. WG have access to a network base (secretary,
administration, letters, info, invitations, reports etc.). WG should receive a
small budget. They can initiate small studies about e.g. novel use
of….innovations in the field… Should be conducted introduction of the new
members, organized meetings on WG level etc. Then justification of what has
happened.
1 A. Martin Pavelek, Chairman of WG 1- Breeding and
cultivation, of the Flax and other Bast Plants Network
At the end of the eighties and ninetieth of the last century creation of this
network was very useful thing and it was one of the very seldom
possibilities how to get together scientists from the branch of fibre plants.
During this time there were hardly any possibility to present own scientific
results on the international platform, there were any EU Framework
Programmes and our ESCORENA Network had played a very important
role.
Network became larger and larger, other fibre crops started to be included
and the network spread to the Asia, Africa, South America the management
of all network started to be more and more difficult, inflexible, hardly
manageable and logically the problems with lack of money occured. I
consider this fact as the main reason of contemporary problems and
stagnation.
Pavelek-cont.
How to solve it ??? Ideas and opinions
·
Network should a little bit again reduce in order not to be so
bombastic and hardly financed
·
·
·
There is necessity to look for some permanent sponsors –
companies, SMEs using scientific results which will be
necessary for them
New young scientists have to be included into the network to be
able to continue this work and activities of Working Groups –
recruitment via web pages, including and participation in the
international scientific teams, a.s.o.
Network should be a platform for creating the scientific teams able
to respond flexibly on different Calls in the Framework of EU
Programmes.
Pavelek - cont.
Proposal to create in the framework of our network a closed
group of scietists experienced in this branch and
successful in submitting the international projects
who will:
-take care about it,
-will monitor the respective calls,
-will help to create scientific teams and to get
together scientists from different countries also
included into our network with regard to the
respective calls and try to create feedbacks to
Brussels
2. Agromarketing network
1. The usefulness of the functioning of ESCORENA is undoubted. This is a
special information platform sharing of knowledge, ideas and research of
scientists from different countries and regions. In order to ensure that
ESCORENA activities make more visible, it is recommended for all seminars,
conferences, symposia and round tables on agricultural subjects, provide an
information about network and its participants. This will help to engage in
joint work more participants.
2. Proposal to submit the publication about ESCORENA network in the
scientific journal “Agrarian Economics”
(http://nasb.gov.by/eng/publications/agroec/index.php). (already
prepared).
3. In order to revitalize the national focal points within the ESCORENA system it
would be advisable to conduct webinars and web-conferences to exchange
opinions and relevant information.
2. Agromarketing network –
cont.
4. According to the recommendations that have emerged during the roundtable
on "Monitoring markets for agricultural products on the basis of information
technologies" (30-31 March 2010, Minsk, Belarus) it was decided to hold the
idea of a pilot version of the portal and the “Agromarketing” network with
the experience of AgroWeb Belarus. Editorial staff and technical support of
web-portal “Agromarketing Network” includes 8 persons.
5. Agromarketing network has been existing for two years. So we are at a
stage of development and formation. Therefore we would like to continue
cooperation in the framework of an ESCORENA network. In addition, during
these two years we've also got good results from the work, as reflected in our
reports that were sent to the Scientific Bulletins of ESCORENA.
6. Popularization of information networks facilitates the publication in the
Bulletin of ESCORENA, in conferences materials. In addition, at the
conferences which will be held in Belarus on Agrarian issues the main
directions of the Agromarketing portal will be presented. These measures also
help to make our work more effective and visible.
2. Agromarketing –cont.
7. We also set up and maintain up-to-date web-page on the Agromarketing
AgroWeb Belarus portal (http://aw.belal.by/show.php?page=amart).
Here all the interested persons can find the latest information about
Belarusian agricultural producers. The information on the page is
constantly updated. In addition, it helps to increase exports of agricultural
products.
8. The contacts and close cooperation establishment with the National Coordinators
Network AgroWeb in Europe and Central Asia is at the development stage. In order
to successfully and productive operation of the Agromarketing Network
(http://www.agrowebcee.net/agromarketing) assumes that all the national
coordinators, which are responsible for Agromarketing, will create their pages and
keep them in the current mode. This will allow the rapid information exchange about
the food market state. In addition, Agromarketing portal facilitates access of
farmers and rural population to market information.
Olga A. Pashkevich, PhD, Institute of System Researches
in AIC of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus
Coordinator of “AgroWeb Agromarketing” project,
Agromarketing network, Minsk, Republic of Belarus
3. Buffalo Network
• ESCORENA activity has to follow, because of the primary role of
information and diffusion of knowledge, a priority in development countries
for buffalo livestock.
• Prof. Antonio Borghese, Italy and his group of collaborators, more than 10
people, are working to follow the publication of Buffalo Newsletter, last
copy attached, that is very appreciated in the world and it is located in
FAO/ESCORENA website www.agrowebcee.net
• He is working now to a second edition of the book Buffalo Production and
Development, asked by the Agricultural Ministry of Hungary. The first
edition was supported by ESCORENA and published on 2005 with logos of
FAO and of his Institute.
• Therefore Prof. Borghese asks authorization to have FAO/ESCORENA
logo to the second edition too, because he thinks that this book is coming
from ESCORENA activity, and asks the support to translate the English
version in Hungarian language or other support.
• He proposes too a ESCORENA meeting in Budapest when the book will
be published.
4. Nut Network Mercè Rovira
FAO-CIHEAM Nut Network Coordinator
1. Newsletter of the Network: As you know, in the frame of
the Nut Network the NUCIS Newsletter is edited. Just now, we
have edited 15 issues. The Network is being supported by
FAO and by CIHEAM, so when funds from FAO are scarce,
we have the financial support from CIHEAM.
2. Yes, Dr. Mercè Rovira, FAO-CIHEAM Nut Network Coordinator, would
like to continue as the Coordinator of the Nut Network
3. How many members? It is difficult to know the number of the members of our
Network- about 270
To raise awareness of the Network and invite more people to participate and be active
on it:she tries to attend the International Meetings of different crops
•
she explains the Network and their activities.
• she presents the NUCIS Newsletter, which is open to all members
and people from different countries continues to collaborate on it.
Since 2011 Prof. Luis Rallo Romero – the Olive Network
Coordinator is in pension, so Dr. Lorenzo Leon will be the
coordinator of the Olive Network in the coming two years.
He will be assisted by Dr. Lopez Escudero of the University of
Córdoba and by some faculty of the IAS- CSIC. These three
institutions are involved in Olive Research and they collaborated up
to date in OLEA, the late magazine of Escorena Olive Network.
Prof. Luis Rallo Romero, Emeritus Professor, Universidad de
Córdoba, Spain
The note from the new coordinator: Lorenzo León Moreno,
5."Alameda
Olive del
Network
IFAPA Centro
Obispo„ Córdoba, Spain:
The olive network has had little activity in the last years due to the
lack of financial support, so at present there is not an active list of
participants, working group structure, etc. For that we plan to
renew the network starting from scratch with a new structure and
new members
5. Olive Network – cont.
Main activities to make ESCORENA Olive Network more visible and active
could include:
1. Reinitiate the publication of Olea Newsletter (last issue was published
in 2007). We will try to find funds from Spanish Institutions (University of
Cordoba, INIA and IFAPA).
2. Carry out a survey among people working in olive research to create a
complete database with people, institutions and topics of interest. This
database will be available for people on the Olive Network web. This could
constitute a first step to establish a permanent forum for interchange
scientific and technical information and to promote applications of joint
R+D projects by participants of different countries to international funding
agencies.
3. Update Olive Network web with information related to courses, book
reviews, PhD Thesis, conferences,…
It would be nice if we could get some support from the ESCORENA
secretariat. For instance, would it be possible to get some IT help for
design and implement the database on the web? Can we get some help
for reinitiating the publication of Olea Newsletter?
6. Sunflower Network
1. ESCORENA visibilty: In our opinion, ESCORENA is already
visible enough. It is easily found by search engines, and has its
page on Wikipedia. The Network could maybe set page on
Facebook, LinkedIn or some other social network, that would
certainly increase its visibility to the researchers. The system is
useful enough, and in the case of sunflower provides an
opportunity to find info on researchers, events, publications etc.
at one place. In our experience it is especially important for the
researchers from the developing countries. We have also opened
the Sunflower Research Network page on LinkedIn in order to make it
more visible and to facilitate communication among researchers.
2. Newsletters: We suggest that Bulletin and Newsletters are
published electronically only, thus avoiding costs of printing and
distribution. Publication of the Newsletters, where possible, could
be organized within or in combination with the already existing
journals dealing with the topics of interest for the Network
researchers. This also could be the way to make certain Networks
and ESCORENA itself more visible to the researchers.
6. Sunflower Network – cont.
3. Coordinator: On behalf of dr. Sinisa Jocic, dr. Yalcin Kaya and
myself I confirm that we would like to remain active within the
Network as coordinators.
4. Members: In Sunflower Research Network, there are
44 researchers from 13 countries so far, and 8 research institutions that
are Network members. We do not have problem with bringing new
researchers into the Network.
5. Regarding Conference: There should be the discussion on how to make
ESCORENA Network useful and visible not only to the researchers, but also to the
potential users of research results and information. E.g. there could be more practical
info for the farmers or consumers, and some of the ESCORENA publications should be
devoted to the knowledge and information dissemination to the farmers, consumers
and other potential end users.
In this way ESCORENA Network will be useful not only to the researchers, and by
contributing to the education and informing of framers, consumers etc. could indirectly
contribute to agriculture, health etc. improvement.
This will also provide more opportunities to the Network to find funding.
Another topic of the conference could be how to improvement of cooperation of the
Network with other UN bodies (UNIDO, UNEP for instance) or international
organizations dealing with similar topics (IAEA for plant breeding part.).
Some remarks about new emerging Network in
frame of ESCORENA: Medicinal and Aromatic
Plants.
Mission for the International Year of Chemistry 2011:
• „To close gaps in drug accessibility and quality - where the chemistry
and biology remain the basis for drug discovery and development”
• Global population 7,1 billion – 2012. Forecats for 2035: 10 billions.
• The role of plant based medicines and affect on ecosystems
• 85% world medicinal plants on market are collected from the field
(Biodivers.Conserv. DOI:10 1023/B: BJ)
• Medicinal Plants essential to long term health care strategies
• But in our front is improving: the fundamental quality controll of
agriculture of plant based medicines
•
Source: Chemical Engineering News, p.52-56 June, 27 2011. Geoffrey
A, Cordell, Natural Products INC.
ESCOP
- European Scientific Cooperative on
Phytotherapy
I also suggest that the new MAP Network should gain closer relation
with ESCOP (European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy). ESCOP
was founded in June 1989 as an umbrella organisation representing
national herbal medicine or phytotherapy associations across Europe,
especially in their discussions with European medicines regulators. In
particular it produces state-of-the-art reviews of the therapeutic use of
leading herbal medicinal products based on leading expertise across
Europe (source: www.escop.com).
THIS INSTITUTION HAS ISSUED A BOOK PUBLISHED IN
COLLABORATION WITH THIEME VERLAG: “ESCOP MONOGRAPHS:
THE SCIENTIFIC FOUNDATION FOR HERBAL MEDICINAL PRODUCTS”,
Second Edition, Supplement 2009, which addresses the problems of
pharmaceutical and medicinal plants.
According to Prof. Dr. Med. Honoris Causa mult. Fritz H. Kemper, who
is the chairman of ESCOP board: “this organization is voluntary and the
book really is labour of love”.
Thank you for your
attention!!