São Paulo – Arab researchers integrate a group of scientists from 41 countries that will exchange experiences and knowledge in forest biotechnology from next Sunday (26th) to July 2nd in Arraial d’Ajuda, a district of the municipality of Porto Seguro, in Bahia. The site will host the international conference Iufro Tree Biotechnology 2011, promoted by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (Iufro).
According to information supplied by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), which will host the conference in Brazil alongside the pulp company Veracel Celulose S.A., regarding the Arab world, one representative from Algeria, one from Egypt, one from Iraq and one from Somalia will attend. Roughly 500 people should attend, from countries such as Argentina, Australia, Belgium, China, France, Germany, india, Japan, South Africa and Spain, among others. The largest group should be the one from Brazil.
The event is regarded as the most important in forest biotechnology. According to the researcher at Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology and president of the committee that organizes the event in Brazil, Dario Grattapaglia, one of the main focuses of research in the field is on having more productive forests in less space. The aim is to have the trees produce more pulp or lignin, for the pulp and paper industry, more energy, if the intention is to make coal for the steel and iron industry, or for the production of cellulosic ethanol.
“The fact that there are high-yield planted forests plays an important role to the preservation of native forests,” explains Grattaplaglia, highlighting that when the plantations are used, the native forest is left alone. According to the researcher, some countries are more at a more advanced stage in forest biotechnology, as is the case with Brazil, Canada, the United States, Sweden, Finland, South Africa, Chile, the United Kingdom, France, Germany etc. Others are getting started in the field, such as the Arabs countries and nations such as Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Mexico and China.
Grattaplaglia claims that scientists from different countries already exchange information in the field – some of whom are involved in projects between countries and research institutions such as the Embrapa – and that events such as the Iufro conference are also opportunities for such. He mentions that at the meeting, 274 forest biotechnology papers will be presented. This will be the first time that the conference is held in Brazil and in Latin America, at the Convention Centre of Ecoresort Arraial d’Ajuda.
Iufro is a non-governmental, non-profit global network comprising forest scientist from several countries in order to promote technical cooperation and expand knowledge on economic, social and ecological aspects pertaining to forests and trees. The theme of the conference in 2011 is “From genomes to integration and delivery.” It is taking place in the year declared by the United Nations as the International Year of Forests.
Service:
Iufro Tree Biotechnology 2011
Date: from June 26th to July 2nd
Place: Convention Centre of Ecoresort Arraial d’Ajuda, in Porto Seguro (state of Bahia)
Information: http://www.treebiotech2011.com/
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
