BACKGROUND

In the 21 century, Agriculture, which provides for the most basic of human needs - food - has and will continue to undergo substantial changes. Increasing production of cash crops, trade in agricultural products, higher awareness of  food - borne disease and quality standards, climate change, changes in tastes and references in the developing countries, increased demand for biofuels, and many other changes all pose a challenge for the Asian and the Greater Mekong Subregion .

Agricultural production, consumption, and related trade have long been the key contributors to the economies of the Asian and the Greater Mekong Subregion . Agriculture employs about two thirds of the subregional working population 78 percent in Lao PDR, 75 percent in Cambodia, 69 percent in Vietnam, and about 50 percent in Thailand. Thus, agriculture is an essential part of the overall Asian and the Greater Mekong Subregion Economic Cooperation Program to accelerate cross-border and regional cooperation and integration for economic growth and poverty reduction.

However, there is growing concern about balancing between energy production and  food security  in  the affected region. Over the last 15 years the region experienced a high level of economic growth. Maintaining such growth could be hampered by various factors including limited energy supply. The energy supply for the 74 million people in the regarded region is insecure. Thus the broader use of renewable energy sources , especially bioenergy, is seen as an innovative and important option to provide energy and heat to various sectors. Under these circumstances, if  not  properly managed, the expansion of biofuel production could impair valuable ecosystems, also those that support an important part of the world's food production and biodiversity. Existing policies do not sufficiently take into account the balanced development of biofuels and
enhanced food safety.

Consequently, in collaboration among Mahidol University by the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Center Ramathibodi Hospital, Royal Institute and Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, the “National Food, Energy and Environmental Sustainability    Conference” is organized, which will take place during August 21 - 22, 2009 in Bangkok , Thailand

Main objectives 

·  To identify, design, anddisseminate rural community – friendly national and institutional policy environments and regulatory frameworks that strengthen equitable trading, food safety standards, use of environmentally sound and cost-competitive bioenergy on a sustainable basis, andenvironmental sustainability.

·  To design, enhance, and establish appropriate and equitable agricultural trading models among participating countries.

·  To enhance and disseminate food safety standards at a regional level.

·  To identify, design, disseminate and replicate innovative agricultural production models that take into account the use of bioenergy and environmental sustainability.

GOAL!

Development of food safety, bioenergy, and environmental management processes in order to enhance income growth and quality of life in the Greater Mekong Subregion