[SANET-MG] dream farm workshop

[jcummins <jcummins@UWO.CA>]

The Independent Science Panel
Promotion of Science for the Public Good http://www.indsp.org
General Enquiries info@indsp.org Website/Mailing List info@indsp.org

Dear ISP members and sponsors of our Sustainable World Initiative,

The Institute of Science in Society (ISIS) is planning a weekend 
workshop, Dream Farm , 21- 22 January 2006, as part of our Sustainable 
World Initiative launched earlier this year.

Our weekend workshop came about as the result of a proposal led by ISIS 
and submitted to the Carbon Trust - to set up for demonstration and 
education purposes, a highly productive integrated farm that's energy 
self- sufficient and reduces wastes and carbon dioxide emissions to a 
minimum: the Integrated Reduced Emissions Food and Energy (IREFE) farm . 
It combines the best of indigenous knowledge and the most appropriate 
new technologies to showcase a post-fossil fuel economy.

The idea is based on the work of Prof. George Chan of Mauritius, 
environmental engineer who trained in Imperial College, whom we featured 
in the article "Dream Farm" in the current issue of our quarterly house 
magazine, Science in Society . George Chan has perfected a version of 
the farm that best suits Third World countries and has been responsible 
for setting up dozens of them in Brazil, South Africa, India, now 
Mauritius and elsewhere.

George Chan is coming through London in January, and we are taking the 
opportunity to put on the weekend workshop. Apart from George Chan, 
there will be London Mayor Dr. Ken Livingstone, to speak on his vision 
of a sustainable London; Eur. Ing. Kenneth Spelman, planner/designer of 
sustainable development projects around the world to speak about 
ecocities, Martin Khor, director of the Third World Network, well known 
for his opposition to WTO-style globalisation will speak on trade 
policies that can help the poor,  Lawrence Woodward, Director of  Elm 
Farm Research Centre to speak on organic agriculture, Julian Oram from 
ActionAid to speak on the effects of the global food trade on third 
world people, and myself, director of ISIS, to speak on the IREFE project.

The purpose of the workshop is to explore common aims in building 
sustainable food systems for the developing and developed world, but 
somewhat different implementations, making maximum use of locally 
available resources, taking advantage of appropriate new technologies, 
and arranging to 'gift' these technologies to the third world. We shall 
also explore the most appropriate international and national policies 
for sustainable food systems that benefit both the developed and 
developing world.

The workshop will be small and will be limited to about 40 participants, 
so we can have in- depth discussions. We are giving priority to ISP 
members and sponsors of Sustainable World Initiative. Enclosed is a 
first announcement of the workshop to invite you to pre- register and 
reserve a place before we send it out to the general public. We 
anticipate a lot of interest, so please send in your details as soon as 
possible. Be sure to state that you are member of the Independent 
Science Panel or a Sustainable World sponsor.

Best wishes,
Maewan

Dr. Mae-Wan Ho
Director Institute of Science in Society and
Sustainable World Initiative

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