IV International Organic Fruit Symposium and II International Organic Vegetable Symposium

Warsaw, Poland

On September 17-20, 2024, the 4th International Organic Fruit Symposium and the 2nd International Organic Vegetable Symposium were held in Warsaw, organised by the Institute of Horticulture – National Research Institute and the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS). The event was held under the patronage of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Czesław Siekierski. The symposia were officially opened by the Director of the Institute of Horticulture – National Research Institute – Prof. Dr hab. Dorota Konopacka, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development – Mr Stefan Krajewski and the leading scientific organiser of the conference – Dr hab. Eligio Malusà, prof. The opening ceremony was also attended by representatives of the Department of Organic Agriculture and Food Quality of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Director – Mr. Marek Cieśliński and Deputy Director – Mr. Jan Golba. The symposia gathered about 100 representatives of the scientific community involved in organic farming from all over the world, including the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Japan, India, England, France, Germany, Italy, Turkey and Poland. The participants presented the results of their research and held fruitful discussions, lasting until late in the evening, on the position and future of organic farming in the world. The guests could also familiarise themselves with Polish culture and tradition. They listened to a concert featuring Fryderyk Chopin’s compositions and tasted traditional Polish dishes and products. As part of the study trip, the participants visited two organic fruit farms: “Ekojabłonka” owned by Mr. Hubert Filipiak in Rembertów near Tarczyn and the farm of Mr. Andrzej Kazimierczak and the headquarters of the Association of Producers “Top Fruit” in Dąbrówka Stara near Błędów. They also visited the Institute of Horticulture – National Research Institute, where they toured the Centre for Innovative and Sustainable Horticultural Technologies (CIZTO), the Centre for Processing Horticultural Products (CPPO), the Department of Horticultural Plant Breeding, the Department of Fruit and Vegetable Storage and Processing, the Department of Food Safety Research. In addition to the laboratory buildings, equipment and research work carried out as part of various projects, the exhibition “Sensory Gardens in the Chambers of the Primate’s Palace”, prepared on the occasion of the annual Skierniewice Festival of Flowers, Fruits and Vegetables, made an unforgettable impression on the visitors.

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During the OrgHort 2024 Symposium in Warsaw, Prof. Joanna Hoffmann, chair of Art & Science Node, member of SPIN-FERT Consortium presented the artistic project The Breath of Soil: Memory Nexus, which delves into the intricate relationship between soil and humans. Employing the sense of smell, it explores the relationship between soil and human memory, combining scientific, societal, cultural, and personal perspectives. The scent of soil is a treasure trove of knowledge about its composition and the processes that occur in it. At the same time, it is a source of emotions and memories stored in the unfathomable layers of human memory. Participants of the ORGHORT Symposium shared with us the personal memories evoked by Soil Sample N1 prepared by InHort. The memories will be archived and serve as a foundation for creating a unique model of the RNA molecule, which will then be printed using biodegradable materials and buried in the soil. Over time, this original “memory capsule” will disintegrate, becoming part of the “living memory” of the soil and, indirectly, of the plants that will grow from it. read more_ The Breath of Soil: Memory Nexus