20 - 22 January, 2009
Knowledge Share Fair and official opening of the International Year of Natural Fibres 2009 [IYNF 2009] at FAO
Rome, Italy
The representatives of the ESCORENA Focal Point in Poland: Mr. R. Kozlowski and Mrs. Maria Mackiewicz-Talarczyk will attend 2 important events at FAO, Rome, Italy:
1. Knowledge Share Fair for Agricultural Development and Food Security which will be held at FAO on January 20 - 22, 2009. See all details on http://www.sharefair.net We will present recent ESCORENA developments in oral presentation and on poster. If ESCORENA coordinators  would like to delegate any of the Network members leaving in Rome or Italy, feel invited. If you would like to send to Focal Point some ideas, questions to be asked at FAO in Rome - please contact us by 19.01.2009 to e-mail: ryszard.kozlowski@escorena.net

2. Official opening of the International Year of Natural Fibres (IYNF2009) , 22 January 2009, FAO HQ.
The official launch of the IYNF will be webcast on Thursday 22 January at 11.00 am Central European (Rome) time (GMT +1) at http://www.fao.org/webcast/details.asp?lang=EN&movie=http://link.rai.it/s/20090122_fao00.asx&pub_id=253149&high=1
Watch it live on your computer, or catch up on it later, it will be there at that address for some time.
Please, disseminate the information about possibility to watch the International Year of Natural Fibres 2009 opening to relevant institutions and/or your colleges.

Prof. Dr. Ryszard M. Kozlowski, ESCORENA Focal Point Coordinator
and Mrs. Maria Mackiewicz-Talarczyk, ESCORENA Focal Point Secretary

More information: and webcast:

Recent and planned activities of the Network on Nuts

More information:

1 - 5 December, 2008
4th Symposium on Natural Fibres: Full Use and Applications (FIBRATEC 2008) and 1st Workshop on Vegetable Fibers Advantage and Crops Residues (APROFIB 2008)
Havana City, Cuba
Both Symposia FIBRATEC 2008 and APROFIB 2008 are organized within the 14 CCIA (14th Scientific Convention on Engineering and Architecture) which includes events that have proved successful on previous occasions and new ones, and it covers the most important issues concerned with the scientific, technological, pedagogical and managerial development of engineering and architecture. Prestigious experts, well known in Cuba and abroad, will give lectures on interesting topics. In each event there will be not only round tables to discuss general issues, but also panels, oral presentation of open topics, as well as exhibition of posters and videos.
More information: or English: Spanish: Photo gallery

17 - 18, November, 2008
5th Natural Fibers International Congress: Natural Fibers for Construction Materials
Ibarra, Ecuador
The main topic of this event will be application of natural fibers as construction materials. This event will be the first in Ecuador to open the International Year of Natural Fibres 2009 (IYNF 2009).
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28 September – 1 October, 2008
Consultation meeting of the Inter-regional Research Network of Cotton, Alexandroupoli, Greece
Scientists from 15 member countries have been invited to present their research work on cotton and take part in the network activities. The aim of the meeting is reviewing and evaluation of present activities and programming the future ones.
More information: Registration form

July 21-23, 2008
FAO/ESCORENA International Conference on Flax and Other Bast Plants.
Saskatoon, Canada
The Conference is organized by the Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission (SaskFlax), FAO/ESCORENA European Cooperative Research Network on Flax and other Bast Plants.
More information: Photo gallery

July 12-13, 2008
Buffalo Reproduction Satellite Meeting of the ICAR 2008, Budapest, Hungary
The aims of the meeting are to promote the development of buffalo reproduction research, to draw the attention of the scientific community and international organizations to this field and to facilitate communication among colleagues.
More information: or List of participants:

April 10-12, 2008.
European Regional Workshop "Internet-based communication support for ESCORENA Thematic Knowledge Networks in Agriculture"
Institute of Natural Fibres (INF), Poznan, Poland.
More information: Workshop final report: or

February 20-22, 2008.
Regional training workshop for portal managers and coordinators of thematic communities in the AW Network
Godollo, Hungary
More information: