I sat through my first delegates’ assembly yesterday at the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists’ (IFAJ) in Graz, Austria.
The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) is a non-political, professional association for agricultural journalists in 29 countries.
It was rather an impressive experience. Delegates from almost 30 countries and every continent voted on a new presidium for the coming year which includes new president Mike Wilson of the USA and Canada’s own Owen Roberts in a new position as General Secretary.
Delegates from Switzerland and Ireland will make up the other two members of the executive committee.
Of the two hundred delegates in total, seven are from Canada. This is most Canadians ever to attend this and we’re all working hard to answer questions from delegates interested in attending our own IFAJ conference in September of 2011. Next year’s event will be in Texas, USA. The 2010 congress will be in Belgium.
To be a member of the IFAJ, a country must allow and embrace the fundamental issue of freedom of the press. Yesterday, delegates accepted a committee recommendation that the Ukraine be accepted as a new member and suspended the membership of Haiti. They were also told that Slovenia will soon become a member of the IFAJ and that there are hopes for new membership countries in South America, Asia and Africa.
A multi-course banquet was held last night in a gorgeous 16th century Renaissance facility owned and recently restored by the University of Graz. You can just get a small sense of the grandeur of this building from the photo. At our table, delegates from Canada, Spain, South Africa and Australia compared noted on everything from EU agricultural quota systems to national identification programs to BSE. I have no doubt that the contacts we’re all make at this congress will help with background information and story contacts in the months and years to come.
Kelly Daynard is the Program Manager for the Ontario Farm Animal Council. Her trip to the 2008 IFAJ is being sponsored by Monsanto and the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation.
