Event Date : January 22, 2013
to 23 January 2013
Lakeside Centre, Aston University, Birmingham
Snow update: The conference is going ahead despite the snow. Main transport routes into Birmingham are open. Only light snow is expected, however mist and fog may be more of an issue. For more information check out your local travel news.
Latest bookings update (15/01/13): The conference is now fully booked and on-line booking is no longer available. Please contact Gillian Woodward directly to check availability in case of cancellations.
ORC’s annual Organic Producers’ Conference is the event where organic and other producers interested in ecological approaches to sustainable food production come together with researchers and advisers to share ideas on making agriculture perform better, for businesses and society.
This year, with innovation the buzz word, we challenge the idea that technological innovation is only about patentable products such as GM crops and high tech inputs. Innovation is also about how we work with ecological knowledge to design self-reliant production systems, less dependent on external inputs and more resilient to shocks when the availability of those inputs is restricted.
We challenge the notion that valid research is only carried out in academic ivory towers and large corporations. We see huge potential in supporting producers to explore their own creative ideas, through a participatory approach to innovation, where researchers and advisers facilitate rather than dominate the process.
This conference provides the opportunity to hear about and debate new ideas that are already being investigated, as well as to get together with like-minded people to develop new ideas for projects to help you move forward.
The conference is now fully booked and on-line booking is no longer available. Please contact Gillian Woodward directly to check availability in case of cancellations.
The full programme (PDF 241KB) with speakers and presentation titles is now available.
More information on the conference here
We have not planned a formal poster session, but there will be some space to display research posters. If you would like to bring one with you, please contact Sally Howlett with details. There is a separate area for trade stands – this is now nearly full, but contact Gillian Woodward to find out if space is still available.
Conference proceedings for this conference will be made available on-line after the conference. You can find proceedings of previous conferences here.
Please see the outline conference programme and registration form for details. The Early Bird discount deadline (21st December) has now passed.
We have kept costs as low as possible for producers, students, IOTA members, ORC PRN members and Friends of ORC. We regret that all available bursaries for students, apprentices and trainees have now been allocated.
Aston University Business School, Birmingham, offers first rate conference facilities and high quality accommodation. For further details, see: www.conferenceaston.co.uk.
Why not bring your partner to the conference, for a small additional fee, and they can enjoy the varied facilities that Birmingham has to offer. For further details, see: www.conferenceaston.co.uk/Content.aspx?PageID=1678.
The venue is in central Birmingham, easily accessed by public transport and less than 15 minutes walk from Birmingham New Street station. For further details see: www.conferenceaston.co.uk/Content.aspx?PageID=1695.
Car parking is available on site at a cost. To qualify for the discounted rate for conference participants of £3.50 per day, you must pre-book directly with the venue. Please see the guidelines (.DOC 43KB) for further details.
