| CONFERENCES : |
EVENTS, MEETINGS AND WORKING GROUPS : |
The second Medfel event featured a packed programme of symposia. The TV studio set up, which provides a more dynamic format, has been retained. Crop forecasts have been broadcasted over the course of the 3-day event: melon forecast on Tuesday, apricots on Wednesday and peaches/nectarines on Thursday. Another fruit in the spotlight was the plum, with a presentation featuring the range of plum varieties available in Europe. Trade in all its forms was showcased. The Italian, Spanish and French specialist retail federations presented their vision of local Mediterranean trade. This was the first public appearance of the newly formed “Fédération européenne des détaillants de l’alimentaire (European food retailers’ federation)” created on 10 March. In addition to the presentations on trade, there was a panel discussion on category management.
Organic production was debated for the first time at Medfel, featuring a wide array of fruit and vegetables organically grown in the Euro-Mediterranean region.
Still on the theme of buying and selling fruit and vegetables, transport and logistics featured more prominently at this second event. Sustainable development and transport cost pooling were the two central themes of Medfel 2010.
Since its inception, Medfel has formed a natural part of the strategy of the Union for the Mediterranean (UFM). No less than four symposia were specifically devoted to this theme. The main contributor to the 2010 event was Antoine Sfeir, political commentator and journalist, who specialises in Middle Eastern Affairs. He wasl outline the UFM’s vision for countries on the Southern shores of the Mediterranean. Food safety was also be debated. The French agricultural agency, FranceAgriMer, unveiled the objectives of its Euro-Mediterranean committee. Finally, the Spanish, Italian and French fruit and vegetable cooperatives discussed the place of fruit and vegetable production in the future reform of the CAP.
TUESDAY, MAY 4TH 2010 - CONFERENCES
10am-11:30am - Agora Podium TV
OFFICIAL OPENING OF MEDFEL
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11:45-12:30pm - Agora Podium TV
FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN UNION TO THE UNION FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN: ASPIRATION AND APPREHENSION AMONG THE COUNTRIES OF THE SOUTH
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Speaker: Antoine SFEIR, Political commentator and journalist, Director of Cahiers de l'Orient (Eastern Journals), Professor of International Relations at CELSA (graduate journalism school, Sorbonne university) and President of the Centre d'études et de réflexions sur le Proche-Orient (Centre of Middle Eastern Studies).
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Panel discussion led by Michel BRU, Réussir Fruits & Légumes magazine and Olivier MASBOU, Fld Hebdo magazine
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2pm-2:45pm - Agora Podium TV
EUROPEAN MELON HARVEST FORECAST
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Speakers:
Catherine TAUSSIG, APREL
Bernard BORREDON, Co-president of AIM (Inter-professional Melon Association)
Bernard BORREDON, Co-president of AIM (Inter-professional Melon Association) -
Panel discussion led by Eric HOSTALNOU, Roussillon Chamber of Agriculture
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3pm-3:45pm - Agora Podium TV
EUROPEAN CONSUMER SEGMENTATION (FRUIT) AND CONSUMER PREFERENCE (APPLES AND PEACHES)
Findings from the European Isafruit project have provided us with an overview of the principal segments defining the profile of European fruit consumers. Can new varieties of apples and peaches help to increase fruit consumption?
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Speakers:
Marleen ONWEZEN, consumer behaviour researcher – Wageningen University Research (Netherlands)
Joan BONANY, director of fruit research programme – IRTA (Spain) -
Panel discussion led by Michel BRU, Réussir Fruits & Légumes
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4pm-4:45pm - Agora Podium TV
VISION OF LOCAL MEDITERRANEAN TRADE
The purpose of this round table, which brings together representatives of the Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and French retailers is to highlight existing local-level food trading models, which revitalise towns and stand up to competition from food superstores. Insee study "Le commerce de détail en Europe: diversité et convergence des tissus commerciaux" (diversity and convergence of commercial networks within European retail trade) published in December 2009) reveals a greater number of specialist food stores in the Southern Mediterranean countries: 27 specialist food stores per 10,000 residents in Spain and 29 in Portugal as opposed to 5 in the United kingdom and Germany and 2 in Finland.
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Speakers:
Francis VAN DER ELST, President of UNFD
Donatella Prampolini, Vice-President of FIDA
Mariano SANCHO HERRERO, Managing Director of FENADA -
Panel discussion led by Olivier MASBOU, Fld Hebdo
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5pm-5:45pm - Agora Podium TV
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, A CRITERION OF ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY FOR THE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE INDUSTRY
Incorporated at the heart of the company’s business, clear commitments to sustainable development will have a dramatic effect on a company. We should really know how to uphold them and make full use of these new sources of added value.
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Speakers: Adèle ROMAN, TRIESSE
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WEDNESDAY, MAY 5TH 2010 - CONFERENCES
9:45am-10:30am - Agora Podium TV
FOOD SAFETY IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION: A MAJOR GEOSTRATEGIC CHALLENGE
Food safety derives from the right of all individuals to have access to adequate and sufficient food, both in terms of quantity and quality.
The opposite is the case in the Mediterranean region, where the prevailing factor is a growing lack of food safety. This issue must be considered a priority for political action in the Euro-Mediterranean region.
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Speakers:
Fouet CHERIET, Engineer, INRA Montpellier
Hassan BENABDERRAZIK, economist and former Secretary General to the Moroccan Ministry of Agriculture
Antoine SFEIR, political commentator and journalist, Director of Cahiers de l'Orient (Eastern Journals) -
Panel discussion led by Olivier MASBOU, Fld Hebdo and Michel BRU, Réussir Fruits & Légumes
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9:45am-10:30 – Conference room
PESTICIDES: FOOD SAFETY ISSUES IN SOUTH-NORTH TRADING
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Speaker: Mediterranean and Pyrenean Analysis Centre
10:45am-11:30am - Agora Podium TV
EUROPEAN APRICOT HARVEST FORECAST
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Speakers:
Vincent FAUGIER, President of AOP (PDO) Abricot de France
Elisa MACCHI, CSO Ferrara (Italy)
José Antonio PLAZA, Coopérativas Agro Alimentarias (Spain) -
Panel discussion led by Michel BRU, Réussir Fruits & Légumes
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11:45-12:30pm - Agora Podium TV
ORGANICALLY GROWN FRUIT AND VEGETABLES IN THE EURO-MEDITERRANEAN REGION
Presentation of the development of organic production in the Mediterranean (production zones, products and key figures) in Spain, Italy, Morocco and France along with corporate testimonials.
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Speakers:
Elisabeth MERCIER, Director of AGENCE BIO
Jean-Luc ANGLES, Anecoop (Spain)
Emmanuel EICHNER, Alterbio (France)
Tom FUSATO BRIO, Primavera (Italy)
Henri de PAZZIS, ProNatura (Morocco)
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Panel discussion led by Patrick MARCOTTE, Coordinator of the Languedoc-Roussillon Regional Federation for Organic Farming (FRAB)
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2pm-2:45pm - Agora Podium TV
SEGMENTATION OF THE TABLE PLUM RANGE
The table plum is extending its range with the arrival of new varieties. What are the different types of segmentation in the principal European markets?
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Speakers:
Frédérique GARDEL, Agrifood Export Advisor, UBIFRANCE French trade commission in London
Alain VIALARET, Director of Blue Whale, Montauban France -
Panel discussion led by Michel BRU, Réussir Fruits & Légumes
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3pm-3:45pm - Agora Podium TV
THE RANGE OF APRICOT VARIETIES: FROM FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR RESEARCH TO CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS
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Speakers:
Vincent FAUGIER, President of AOP Abricot de France
Jean-Marc AUDERGON, INRA AVIGNON
Jean LICHOU, CTIFL -
Panel discussion led by Eric HOSTALNOU, Roussillon Chamber of Agriculture
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4pm-4:45pm - Agora Podium TV
ISSUES SURROUNDING TRADING AND A HORIZONTAL MULTI SECTORAL APPROACH IN THE EURO-MEDITERRANEAN REGION
What do the countries in the Mediterranean basin represent for our agricultural sectors? Privileged customers? Formidable competitors? Influential partners?
Trading activities are intense and bilateral relations wide-ranging with countries in the Mediterranean region, which, even where they are not all EU Member states or applying for membership, are partners of the EU’s neighbourhood policy. The various French farming sectors have very differing commercial interests in the Mediterranean region, but all share a strong common interest in developing more structured relations in this region.
To this end, FranceAgriMer, a national establishment for agriculture and fishery products, has recently set up a Euro-Mediterranean committee, where the public authorities and all sectors involved in agriculture and fishing are working together to structure a horizontal approach to relations between these French sectors and other Mediterranean countries.
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Speaker: Bruno DUPONT, President of the FranceAgriMer Euro-Mediterranean committee
5pm-5:45pm - Agora Podium TV
BEYOND 2013: WHAT IS THE FUTURE FOR THE FRUIT AND VEGETABLES CMO?
Among the scenarios prepared by the Commission’s various divisions as part of the CAP 2013, that of a single CMO regulation is one of the projects favoured by Brussels. What would the consequences of such a reform be for agricultural sectors in general, and for the fruit and vegetable industry in particular? Why do professionals working in the sector remain committed to the existence of a fruit and vegetables CMO? What will be the place of countries from the Southern shores of the Mediterranean in future negotiations? Finally, has the second component (rural development) been sufficiently explored as a possibility?
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Speakers:
Jean Michel DELANNOY, Felcoop (France)
Davide VERNOCCI, Conf coopérative (Italy)
José Antonio PLAZA, Coopérativas Agro Alimentarias (Spain) -
Panel discussion led by Olivier MASBOU, Fld Hebdo
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6pm-6:45pm - Agora Podium TV
TRANSPORT POOLING OR HOW TO POOL YOUR COSTS?
"Over the years, a number of players in the fruit and vegetable distribution chain have been working hard to optimise their transport costs, but with a vision centred solely on their own organisation. This approach is no longer able to offer practical and sustainable optimisation of costs, and the particular need to consider environmental protection, traffic restrictions in town centres, etc. is leading us to engage in a collective discussion.
What levers and mechanisms can be deployed to enable us to adopt a shared approach, based on transport cost pooling and optimal management of costs?”
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Speakers:
Jean-Paul MEYRONNEINC, Managing Director of UNTF
Maryline POUBEAU-TEXIER, Director of RESOLVEO -
Panel discussion led by Philippe DESFILHES, journalist Les Echos, Le Moci, L'Usine Nouvelle...
THURSDAY, MAY 6TH 2010 - CONFERENCES
9:45am-10:30am - Agora Podium TV
CATEGORY MANAGEMENT: MYTH OR REALITY?
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Speakers:
Pascal GOURMEZ, CTIFL
François MARIE, Director of FLORETTE Group
Chaibi NAJLA LAMAA, CARREFOUR (TUNISIA) -
Panel discussion led by Olivier MASBOU, Fld Hebdo
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10:45am-11:30am - Agora Podium TV
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND THE NEW TAXES INTRODUCED
To promote sustainable development, the public authorities are placing a strong focus on what they call green taxation. The transport system has been affected by the introduction of an eco-tax on HGVs using the non-conceded state road network (toll motorways excluded). What feedback mechanisms are in place and what are the consequences for transport costs?
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Speaker: Jean-Paul MEYRONNEINC, Managing Director of UNTF
- Panel discussion led by Philippe DESFILHES, journalist Les Echos, Le Moci, L'Usine Nouvelle...
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10:45am-11:30 – Conference room
FOOD QUALITY AND SAFETY: FEL PARTENARIAT®, A GENUINE GUARANTEE OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE
FeL PARTENARIAT® is the first self-monitoring convention bringing together a number of federations (ANEEFEL, CSIF, UNCGFL), validated by the DGCCRF in the fruit and vegetable sector. It is based on a genuine partnership between suppliers, the company committed to the FeL PARTENARIAT® programme, the DGGCRF and professional federations. Apart from documented procedures, validated by the DGCCRF, it offers companies support with regulatory and technical matters, in particular in developing their professional standards.
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Speakers:
Véronique DECLERK, CSIF
Valérie AVRIL, ANEEFEL
Annick GROISY, UNCGFL
11:45-12:30pm - Agora Podium TV
EUROPEAN PEACH/NECTARINE HARVEST FORECAST
Screening of a video on summer fruit production in Emilia-Romagna during the presentation on the peach harvest forecast (mission undertaken in July 2009)
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Speakers:
Pierre GIOVANELLI, President of AOP Pêches et nectarines de France
Elisa MACCHI, CSO Ferrara (Italy)
Manel SIMON, Catalonia Qualitat (Spain)
José Antonio PLAZA, Coopérativas Agro Alimentarias (Spain) -
Panel discussion led by Michel BRU, Réussir Fruits & Légumes and Eric HOSTALNOU, Roussillon Chamber of Agriculture
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1:45pm-2:30 – Conference room
ANALYSIS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVE POSITION OF THE PEACH SECTOR
How competitive is the French peach industry? What are its strengths and weaknesses?
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Speaker: Caroline Blot, FRANCEAGRIMER
2pm-2:45pm - Agora Podium TV
RUNGIS: INTERNATIONAL MARKET AND PLATFORM WITH A NEW RAIL TERMINAL
The Rungis market today represents a consumption of 1M tonnes and comprises a logistics platform with a direct rail link to Perpignan opening in 2010. Presentation of this new tool (capacity of over 400,000t) which is totally compatible with the goal of sustainable development... a terminal with a bright future.
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Speaker: Rungis International Market
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Panel discussion led by Philippe DESFILHES, journalist Les Echos, Le Moci, L'Usine Nouvelle...
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EVENTS, MEETINGS AND WORKING GROUPS
4th, 5th and 6th May
11:30am-1pm – Conference room
SUD PRIMEUR – BAYLE APERITIF
9 chefs from restaurants in Carcassonne, including 5 Michelin starred chefs, will serve an aperitif to Medfel participants
- Eric BIVENT – Brasserie du Donjon
- Jean-Pierre BLASCO – l’Auberge des Lices
- Jean-Marc BOYER – Le Puit de Trésor
- Philippe DUCOS – Le Domaine d’Auriac
- Fabien GALIBERT – La Bergerie
- Pascal LEDROIT – Domaine Gayda
- Pierre MESA – Le Conte Roger
- Franck PUTELAT – Le Parc
- Jérôme RYON – La Barbacane
TUESDAY, MAY 4TH 2010
9am-12am – Conference room
TRANSLOG SUD DE FRANCE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
2pm-6pm - Meeting room
CRENO GROUP MEETING
3pm-4:45pm – Conference room
AREFLH MELON MEETING
5pm-6pm – Conference room
FRANCEAGRIMER MEETING
6pm-6:45pm - Agora Podium TV
ANDES ASSOCIATION PRESS CONFERENCE
WEDNESDAY, MAY 5TH 2010
8am-6pm – Meeting room
CRENO GROUP MEETING
9:30am-12:30pm
ORGANIC SECTOR MEETING
11:45am-1pm - Conference room
ABRICOT DE FRANCE MEETING
2pm-3:45pm - Conference room
FELCOOP MEETING
4pm-5:45pm - Conference room
AREFLH PLUM MEETING
6pm-6:50pm - Conference room
PÊCHES NECTARINES DE FRANCE PRESS CONFERENCE FOR THE LAUNCH OF THE SUMMER CAMPAIGN
6:45pm-7:30pm - Agora Podium TV
SUD DE FRANCE COCKTAIL
THURSDAY, MAY 6TH 2010
9am-10:30am - Conference room
AREFLH PÊCHES NECTARINES MEETING
3pm-4:30pm - Conference room


