INTRODUCTION

Spain is due to host the IV  World Congress of Agronomists and Professional in Agronomy with the motto “The Agronomist as technical and scientific nexus for conserving the Environment on the basis of rural development and food demand”. The Congress, which will be held in Madrid from 28 to 31 October 2008, is organised by the Official Association of Agronomists of Central Spain and the Canary Islands (Colegio Oficial de Ingenieros Agrónomos de Centro y Canarias) and the World Association of Agronomists (Asociación Mundial de Ingenieros Agrónomos -AMIA-) in collaboration with the Spanish Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs and counts on the support of numerous institutions including schools of engineering, companies and professional associations.

The World Congresses of Professional in Agronomy have been organised with the backing of the World Association of Agronomists. The first World Congress of Professional in Agronomy , which was held in Chile in 1994 and attended by nearly 1.060 participants organized by the Colegio de Ingenieros Agrónomos de Chile, also marked the occasion on which the World Association of Agronomists was created, with the signature of  the representatives of thirty tree countries including  the Spanish representative, Eloy Ramos. The second congress was held in Mexico (2000), with an approximate attendance figure of 834 , and the third congress took place in Fortaleza Brazil (2004), where it attracted around 930 participants.

The participants at IV Congress, the first to be held in Europe, will examine Agronomists rol in society  and discuss the latest technologies applied to agricultural disciplines and the evolution of agriculture-based industries. Discussion topics will also include the agricultural production methods, systems and strategies aimed at reducing environmental damage and losses of natural resources, as well as the technology designed to improve irrigation and the use of desalinated or purified water. Given the latest advances in the sector, priority will also be given to energy saving in agricultural processes and energy production based on energy crops, without forgetting the role of trade, transport and distribution of agricultural and food products alike.



AIMS OF THE CONGRESS

The main aim of the congress is to analyse and discuss food safety within a context of environmental sustainability, rural development and water and energy shortage. The content is organised in the following working panels.
         
         1. The Agricultural Engineer and Society
         2. Nature, Environment and Landscape Gardening
         3. Agriculture and Market Orientation
         4. New-generation Agriculture
         5. Water and Energy
         6. Territorial Planning and Preservation
         7. Rural Development
         8. Knowledge Dissemination and Transmission