Acta Horticulturae

CTA and ISHS Sign Major Accord
The Technical Centre for Agricultural and
Rural Cooperation ACP-EC (CTA), with headquarters
in Wageningen, is mandated by the
ACP-EC Cotonou Agreement to improve agricultural
production and rural development,
help reduce poverty, promote sustainable food
security, and preserve the natural resource base
of the 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP)
Group of States. CTA recognizes that improving
access to information and building capacity for
horticultural science and industry can, over
time, significantly contribute to achieving these
development goals. The Centre supports the
rationale for and vision of the Global
Horticulture Initiative (see Chronica Vol. 46
Number 2 of this year) and believes that providing
a platform that links the ACP region to the
products and services of ISHS will prove beneficial
for its ACP partners and beneficiaries. CTA
and ISHS have therefore decided to join forces
in the attainment of these goals.
Norman Looney and Hansjorg Neun signing the ISHS-CTA Memorandum of
Understanding.
Some History
In November 2004 the ISHS President was invited
to address the Advisory Committee on
Science and Technology for ACP Agricultural
and Rural Development, which CTA supports.
He put forward several suggestions about how
ISHS, in collaboration with CTA, could connect
ACP professionals to their colleagues around
the world with the objective of strengthening
horticultural science and industry. The Advisory
Committee, composed of representatives of
many ACP countries, enthusiastically embraced
these suggestions and ISHS and CTA agreed to
work towards establishing an official
Memorandum of Understanding.
The Agreement
This MoU covers the following collaborative
activities:
❚ Supporting where feasible ISHS-sanctioned
symposia and workshops in ACP countries
❚ Sponsoring, as appropriate, ACP nationals to
attend ISHS symposia and congresses
❚ Achieving greater ACP country representation
in the activities and governance of ISHS
by promoting Individual, Institutional and
Country Membership in the Society
❚ ISHS-CTA cooperation in developing symposia
or colloquia at future ISHS Congresses
that focus on horticultural science and industry
issues in ACP countries
❚ Promoting CTA and ISHS activities and issues
in the magazine of each partner (i.e., SPORE
and Chronica Horticulturae) and on each
organization’s websites.
The Ceremony
On March 24, 2006, at Montpellier, France, Dr.
Hansjorg Neun and Dr. Norman Looney officially
signed this agreement. The event was hosted
by ISHS and involved members of the ISHS
Committee for Research Cooperation and other
key participants in the launch of the Global
Horticulture Initiative, which occurred that
same week. Thus, the formalization of this MoU
was witnessed by senior officials of the World
Vegetable Center (AVRDC), the World Potato
Center (CIP), Centre de coopération internationale
en recherche agronomique pour le développement
(CIRAD), FAO, the Global Forum for
Agricultural Research (GFAR) and CTA. Both Dr.
Neun and Dr. Looney expressed their profound
satisfaction with the strong relationship developing
between ISHS and CTA and affirmed the
commitment of their respective organizations
to honour both the text and the spirit of this
agreement.
Shared Vision
In the months since the Agreement was signed
there has been ongoing contact between Judith
Francis (Senior Programme Coordinator, Science
and Technology Strategies, CTA) and Jozef Van
Assche (ISHS Executive Director) aimed at developing
an Action Plan for undertaking these collaborative
activities. Furthermore, other avenues
for cooperation are being explored, particularly
relating to sharing publications and online
resources.
Clearly this is a winning scenario for all concerned.
The research and education focus of
ISHS and its members complements the wide
outreach of most of the programs and services
that CTA delivers to its constituents in ACP
countries. Correspondingly, the ISHS Board of
Directors views this agreement as being centrally
important to achieving its mandate with
respect to fostering international development
through the application of horticultural research
and education for sustaining successful horticultural
industry and contributing to meeting
important societal goals.
Norman E. Looney and Hansjorg Neun
CHRONICA HORTICULTURAE •VOL 46 • NUMBER 3 • 2006 • 15