In the framework of the international RLC workshop (below), the RLC Bonn and the City of Bonn organised a public panel discussion with

• Helmy Abouleish, SEKEM, Egypt (“Alternative Nobel Prize” 2003)
• Markus Arbenz, IFOAM – Organics International, and
• Gerhard Weber, Chamber of Industry and Commerce Bonn/Rhine-Sieg.

The panelists talked about sustainable food production and organic agriculture as one competitive solution for the environmental, social and food security challenges of the 21st century. They shared their vast expertise and experiences and elaborated on how to successfully integrate local sustainable food production into globalised markets, on challenges and obstacles as well as their personal motivation.

From June 10 to 15, scientists, practitioners and PhD students from 18 different countries came together at the RLC Campus in Bonn to present and discuss local level empirical research and practical development work in rural areas of developing and transition countries. Distinguished speakers Dr. Lee HeHaan (“Alternative Nobel Prize” awarded Land Institute, USA) and Prof. Lennart Olsson (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies, Sweden) presented different pathways of sustainable agriculture and its actual and potential contributions.