The International Green for Good Conference Returns to Olomouc for the Seventh Time
Experts in plant biotechnology are gathering for the international Green for Good conference, which began today at Palacký University Olomouc. Around seventy top scientists, industry representatives and young researchers will meet until September 4 to explore ways to advance sustainable agriculture and ensure food security. The seventh edition of the conference is organized by the Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN) at Palacký University, with support from the project “TowArds Next-GENeration Crops” under the Operational Programme Johannes Amos Comenius program and the European Federation of Biotechnology.
“The goal of the conference is to connect experts in plant technologies and discuss topics such as plant breeding and genome editing, smart solutions for agriculture, the use of waste materials and plant diseases and pests in the context of climate change. At the same time, we aim to support scientists at all career stages. That’s why the program includes plenary and keynote lectures by leading experts, so-called flash presentations selected from submitted abstracts and a poster session,” said Ivo Frébort, Chair of the Scientific Committee and member of CATRIN.
Among the distinguished guests are plant breeding innovation experts Tomáš Čermák from Ball Horticultural Company (USA) and Paolo Pesaresi from the University of Milan, plant pathologist Remco Stam from the University of Kiel, structural and functional plant biology expert Vasileios Fotopoulos from the Cyprus University of Technology and Oana Dima from Ghent University, who specializes in European policy regarding new breeding techniques, including genome editing.
The program also includes the Industry Meets Academia section. As part of the project “Interdisciplinary Approaches for the Development and Application of New Materials in Industrial, Agricultural and Medical Practice”, the section will feature workshops enabling presentations from regional companies and the establishment of international collaborations.
The final session, titled “Crops for the 21st Century”, is held under the patronage of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Prague. The keynote lecture will be delivered by Karin Krupinska from the University of Kiel. During a public outreach lecture, which will be open to the general public including high school students, she will explain ways to enhance plants’ adaptability to environmental and climate changes. The lecture will be followed by a panel discussion with guests such as Aleš Pečinka from the Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Gary Vallad from the University of Florida.
The accompanying program includes a networking evening and a guided tour of the mobile exhibition “Sustainability and Civilization” on Olomouc’s Lower Square, which was co-created by scientists from CATRIN.
More details about the conference, including the full program, are available at https://www.efbiotechnology.org/g4g/=Green_for_Good_G4G_IV .
