Miami Beach, FL – Upon its return to Europe from Miami, FL, where the latest Annual General Meeting of the association took place, CIOPORA draws a balance of the productive and intensive work & fun week in Miami.
The CIOPORA AGM Week 2012 was extraordinary in many regards: the intensive educational program provided by the association for the members, the exotic geographic setting and the spectacular venues – all of these made the AGM 2012 very special for the CIOPORA community. The main focus of the week was also of a particular character. As the President of the association Andrea Mansuino emphasized in his welcome speech at the AGM on April 24, this year CIOPORA went to USA pursuing two goals: to increase the visibility of the association and its activities beyond the big pond as well as to provide the members with an update on the latest developments of IP protection for plant innovation in the U.S. and the Americas in general. Both objectives were successfully achieved during the AGM week.
The AGM concentrated on the discussion of the internal matters of the association. During the event a new contribution scheme and fee levels were approved by the members. Furthermore, the reports on the latest developments of the CIOPORA Working groups were delivered. Jan de Riek, the chairman of the Working Group on Molecular Techniques, informed the meeting about the intention of the group to initiate a CIOPORA driven molecular marker project. Lars Henriksen, the chairman of Working Group on DUS, made an announcement about the intention of his group to put a new paper on DUS on vote at the AGM 2013. During the closing part of the AGM, which was open for non-member breeders, the Vice Secretary General of UPOV, Peter Button, and the Vice-President of the CPVO, Carlos Godinho, held speeches on the latest developments in UPOV and the CPVO respectively. The AGM was wrapped up in the AGM Dinner in the spectacular location of the Smith & Wollensky Restaurant in southernmost point of Miami Beach.
During the International IP Conference on April 25, which served as the culmination of the week’s events and attracted 73 participants, speakers from the U.S., Canada and South America continued informing the attendees about the important IP protection matters in their countries. Mrs. Kitisri Sukhapinda from the USPTO kindly overtook the role of the chairwoman of the conference. The morning session of the IP Conference was dedicated to the IP topics in the U.S., such as novelties brought to the Plant Patents by the America Invents Act. The afternoon session covered issues of IP protection in UPOV, Latin America and Canada. Of a special significance for CIOPORA were the presence and the presentations given by the President of ASOCOFLORES Mr. Augusto Solano and by a representative of EXPOFLORES, Mr. Remigio Davalos. Both speakers emphasized the high significance of plant innovation and its effective protection for the successful development of the horticultural sector in Columbia and Ecuador, countries with a leading position in the world’s floricultural production and export.
The presentations by the representatives of growers from the Latin America had heralded the shift of the events’ focus from IP matters towards the producers of horticultural crops who hosted the CIOPORA group during the business excursion on April 26. More than 40 participants received a unique possibility to visit the logistic center of ESMERALDA Farms, the family owned and driven 600 ha premises of COSTA farms, and KERRY’s Bromeliads, which apart from being one of the leading growers of orchids in the area has developed its own breeding program.
The CIOPORA AGM Week 2012 in Miami became another successful attempt of the association to unite all the parts of production chain behind the idea of value and the necessity of a strong protection of plant innovation. The presence of the special guests from USPTO, UPOV, CPVO, ASOCOFLORES and EXPOFLORES emphasized the strength of CIOPORA’s position in its relations with governmental and intergovernmental bodies, as well as with the associations of the leading growers of the market. CIOPORA is looking forward to further successful cooperation and knowledge exchange with breeders, growers and authorities from the Americas and other continents.
CIOPORA is the International Association of Breeders of Vegetatively Reproduced Ornamental and Fruit Varieties. Breeders of such crops hold ca. 2/3 of all PVR titles in the world. Since more than 50 years CIOPORA represents them in all matters of Intellectual Property Protection.
Source: CIOPORA
