Conference Theme and Additional Details

Organic Seed Alliance invites you to help shape the 9th Organic Seed Growers Conference by providing proposals for content. This is your opportunity to share important research and ask timely questions related to organic seed. The conference is the largest organic seed event in the U.S. and provides a two-day agenda of presentations, panel discussions, and networking events. We welcome your proposals for presentations, workshops, posters, panels, and roundtables.

Theme
Conference attendees receive hands-on instruction, results from cutting-edge research, updates on seed policy and advocacy efforts, and inspiring stories from the field. The 9th Organic Seed Growers Conference theme is Synergy that Sustains. This year’s theme reflects an emphasis on developing collaborative networks, cooperative production and business models, and a diversity of approaches to advancing organic seed systems. While we welcome a diversity of proposals, those that fit the following categories are encouraged:

Topics reflecting 2017 theme, “Synergy that Sustains”:
  • Regional, national, and international seed networks
  • Innovative business models, including examples of seed cooperatives
  • Collaborative research, education and advocacy initiatives

Topics that reflect ongoing conference priorities:
  • Advancements in organic plant breeding
  • Breeding for resiliency and biodiversity, including to mitigate the impacts of climate change
  • Farmer-led breeding projects
  • New models for organic seed production, quality assurance, enterprise development, and commercializing new varieties (e.g., alternative approaches to intellectual property)
  • Understanding the economics of seed production
  • Timely policy and advocacy topics that are essential to expanding organic seed systems and that are in need of more clarity, strategy, and discussion

Deadline
Proposals must be submitted by July 24, 2017.

Selection process
Proposals are evaluated and chosen by a review committee with diverse representation from the organic seed community. The agenda is also informed by input received from past conferences. In some cases, proposals may be combined.

Conference location
The conference venue is Oregon State University, a beautiful facility located on campus in Corvallis. Registration opens in the autumn of 2017.

Questions?
Please contact Cathleen McCluskey at cathleen[at]seedalliance[dot]org with any questions about the conference.
 
Past proceedings
Past proceedings are available here.
 
Submit a proposal
Continue to the next page to submit a proposal for the 9th Organic Seed Growers Conference.

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