Havana hosts International Agroforestry Convention

HAVANA, Cuba, Jul 2 (ACN) The Havana Convention Center will host from today until July 5, the International Agroforestry Convention, with the purpose of presenting Cuba's results and acquiring experiences from world leading nations in the production of coffee, cocoa and honey.

The event is dedicated to the 55th anniversary of the Agroforestry Research Institute (INAF by its Spanish acronym) and the 42nd anniversary of the Apiculture Research Center.

The multifaceted event will include the 8th Cuban Forestry Congress, the 4th International Coffee and Cocoa Congress, the 8th International Meeting of Young Researchers and the 7th Cuban Apiculture Congress.

The Agroforestry Convention will be attended by more than 400 researchers, entrepreneurs and producers from Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, Italy and Cuba, Pablo Henry Torriente, director of INAF announced.

In keynote and thematic conferences, presentations, posters, will be exchanged on forests and their relationship with society, biodiversity, ecosystem services, climate change, forest protection, integrated pest and disease management and sustainable agricultural production technologies, he said.

Other topics to be addressed include forest biomass and bioenergy, sustainable agricultural production technologies, agroforestry systems, coffee and cocoa production, plantation, soil and nutrient management, quality, processing, by-products and industry of these crops, the expert added.

He highlighted the opportunity to discuss pollination and pollinators, bee improvement and breeding, productive diversification, healthy food and apitherapy.

Henry Torriente concluded that other topics such as technologies in beekeeping, technology, international collaboration as a way to strengthen agroforestry activities, the challenges of agriculture to achieve the objectives of sustainable development and information management in agroforestry activities and computerization of key processes will be discussed.