INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF AGRICULTURAL JOURNALISTS' WORLD CONGRESS CANCELLED...
We are naturally very sorry that we have had to make the decision to cancel the congress. However, in light of how quickly the corona epidemic is escalating, and the resulting travel restrictions all over the world, we consider it impossible to hold the congress as planned in June. A possible postponement to a later date would entail much uncertainty with relation to disease risk, the programme, and the number of participants.
On this background, we consider the most responsible course of action to be cancellation now and thereby clarification of the situation for all concerned.
IFAJ presidium supports the Danish congress organizing committee...
The congress organizing committee and the IFAJ (International Federation of Agricultural Journalists) presidium have stayed in close contact, monitoring the coronavirus situation as it has intensified globally. IFAJ president Owen Roberts says the presidium fully supports this difficult decision by the Danish organizing committee and has the highest regard for the committee members' hard work through the years.
"The Danish congress has been one of the best planned congresses ever, and that fact will not change," says Roberts. "Future congresses will benefit from the Danish organizing committee's insight and from the meticulous, upbeat approach it took to promote and support its congress. The team members leave a significant legacy -- even without their congress being held -- and I thank every one of them for their heartfelt contributions."
Roberts says an announcement will be made shortly about next steps, including presidium elections, new member guilds, recommendations from the Vision 2025 committee, and other matters that will keep IFAJ moving forward.
Free book about Danish agriculture on the way...
Despite the cancellation, we will complete work on the congress book that should have been handed out to all participants at the main congress in Vingsted. The book will be published as a pdf document. As a registered participant you will receive it by email.
As originally planned, the book will give you insight into Danish food and agriculture and will contain factual information and contact details for the farms, companies, research centers, etc. that we would have visited during the congress. The book will thus be of great value for anyone with an interest in Danish agriculture and can provide inspiration for many journalistic stories.
Help with regard to reporting assignments in Denmark...
Even though there will no longer be a congress to visit, we still hope to see our foreign colleagues in Denmark once the corona pandemic has settled down and conditions start to return to normal.
More than 20 members of Danske Fødevare- og Landbrugsjournalister have for years worked on making IFAJ 2020 a great experience for all participants and even though the congress has now been cancelled, our volunteers continue to be eager to help international colleagues. We are still willing to pass on good story tips, contacts to sources, etc. If you are interested, then please use the contact form on the congress website: https://ifaj2020.dk/contact/
Denmark, 17 March 2020
Danske Fødevare- og Landbrugsjournalister’s steering committee for IFAJ 2020 (Frederik Thalbitzer, Gudrun Andreasen and Per Henrik Hansen)
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