A Stakeholders’ Conference - 25-26 April 2003

Agricultural biotechnology (agbiotech) and sustainable agriculture are often portrayed as opposing practices. Agbiotech is usually aligned with genetically modified (GM) foods and corporate farming. In contrast, most people associate sustainable agriculture with organic farming. Are these practices mutually exclusive?

Participants in this stakeholders’ conference will explore this question by analyzing current practices and developing systems in agbiotech. Featured speakers – including leading scientists, policy advisors, and ethicists – will address:
• Potential risks and benefits of agbiotech
• Underlying assumptions of agbiotech & sustainable agriculture
• Ethical considerations for agricultural scientists, producers, consumers, public policy leaders, and other stakeholders

After their opening addresses and dialogue, speakers will lead conference participants in breakout sessions that explore:
• Concerns about practices, policies, & controversies in agbiotech
• Consensus-building regarding the development of agbiotech in a manner consistent with sustainable practices

Who Should Attend?

This conference is intended for a wide range of stakeholders in food production: farm & food industry groups, scientists, policy-makers, economists, ethicists, environmentalists, development agencies, students, educators, clergy, consumer & human rights groups – anyone who is concerned about food production!

Don’t know much about agbiotech? Here’s your opportunity to learn more through presentations and discussions in everyday language that involve “real people” in open dialogue. Curious, but need more background information? Follow this link.

Conference Dates

The conference begins at 6:30 PM on Friday, April 25, 2003 and runs through 5:45 PM on Saturday, April 26, 2003. For a more detailed schedule, click the Conference Program link.

Conference Location

The conference will be held at the Prince Conference Center on Calvin College’s east campus. This center features comfortable meeting rooms, excellent food service, and optional overnight accommodations (with complimentary breakfast) for conference participants. For directions to the conference, click here.

Registration Fees

Regular registration for this conference is $60. In keeping with the educational mission of Calvin College, students currently enrolled in any academic institution can register for $40 (subject to verification).

Registrations costs include:
• Friday evening dinner banquet
• Saturday noon luncheon
• Beverages & snacks for conference breaks
• Access to all conference events
• Free parking at the Prince Conference Center

Overnight accommodations and Saturday morning breakfast at the Prince Conference Center are not included in registration costs.

Conference Links

Conference Program
Speaker Biographical Sketches
Background Info – What is agbiotech? Sustainable agriculture?
Visitor Resources – Maps, Directions, & Other Accommodations

Conference Sponsors

Calvin Center for Christian Scholarship
Calvin’s Biology Department