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September 10: Atlantic Canada post congress tour agenda and background info
August 26: Seafood farmers whet the appetites of agriculture reporters
August 22: Delegate info - what to wear, what to bring, weather, currency and more!
August 19: Latest draft congress agenda now available
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News Release
The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists Hosts Global Master Class for Agricultural Journalists from Developing Countries
DuPont, through its Pioneer Hi-Bred business, sponsors Masters Class during the 2011 IFAJ Congress in Canada
The Netherlands, Sept. 1, 2011 – The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) and DuPont, through its Pioneer Hi-Bred business, are collaborating to provide training and networking opportunities for agricultural journalists from developing countries.
More than a dozen agricultural journalists will participate in the 2nd Annual IFAJ Master Class held in Guelph, Canada, on September 11-12, which precedes the 2011 IFAJ Congress being held Sept. 14-18. The agricultural journalists represent 12 countries including Brazil, Burkina Faso, China and India.
This year’s Master Class, themed “Experience Another (Agri)culture,” has a two-fold thrust.
- First, it provides a dynamic and complete professional development experience for journalists from developing countries.
- Secondly, it gives journalists from the developed world access to contacts in countries that are intricately involved in feeding an increasingly hungry world. In that way, the Master Class exercise contributes to creating awareness of the role and position of farmers and their organizations worldwide.
During the two-day Master Class summit, workshops are given by IFAJ member journalists, making it a true peer-to-peer teaching and learning experience. Subject matters covered include journalistic best practices, freedom of press, interviewing skills and new media as well as the role of farmers in fighting poverty. Most attending journalists are closely affiliated with organizations of smallholders and family farmers in their native countries.
José van Gelder of Agriterra, an agricultural development agency based in the Netherlands, is an IFAJ member and is in charge of organizing the event. Van Gelder believes that poverty needs to be fought with entrepreneurship. “For that,” she says, “you need strong farmer organizations, delivering the right and essential services to their farmers. Ag journalism is a powerful means to inform farmers on issues that help them in their day-to-day work.”
The Master Class is made possible through funds provided by DuPont through its Pioneer Hi-Bred business, which has financed all programming and travel costs for journalists participating in the 2011 Master Class.
“As a global business, we are proud to sponsor IFAJ’s Master Class program that provides professional development and knowledge-based tools in support of agricultural journalists worldwide,” said Paul E. Schickler, president, Pioneer Hi-Bred. “High quality information and communications are essential to fostering understanding that will bring incredible benefits to farmers and consumers and others throughout the value chain.”
The Master Class contributes to the large number of countries (33 in total) that will be represented at the 2011 IFAJ Congress. Participants are expected from all over the word – including China, Burkina Faso, Guinea, India, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Peru, Armenia, Congo and Madagascar.
Starting September 11, the experiences of the journalists can be followed on www.ifaj2011.com and via #IFAJ tweets, also shown at www.ifaj.org.
Additional Organization Information
International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ)
The IFAJ is a non-political, professional association for agricultural journalists in 31 countries. It serves as a platform for communication, information and professional development for agricultural journalists from all over the world.
Agriterra
Agriterra is founded by the Dutch rural people’s organisations, working from the conviction that if farmers organise themselves, they will be able to take the responsibility of their development into their own hands. Agriterra has extensive contacts in developing countries.
Contacts:
IFAJ Owen Roberts, Secretary General and 2011 Congress co-chair; owen@uoguelph.ca or +1-519-824-4120 Ext. 58278
Agriterra José van Gelder, master class coordinator; vangelder@agriterra.org or +31-26-3542079
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Vanclief named Honourary Chair of congress
GUELPH, Ontario, July 13, 2011 - Former Canadian Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Hon. Lyle Vanclief, has been named Honourary Chair of 2011 International Federation of Agricultural Journalists Congress being held this September in Guelph and Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.
The congress organizing committee made the announcement today, citing Vanclief’s stellar political career, openness to the agricultural media and recent induction into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame.
IFAJ 2011 Congress co-chair Owen Roberts said the former federal minister has a long and deep relationship with farm writers, having spoken on behalf of the federal government numerous times at farm writers’ meetings.
"The organizing committee is proud Lyle Vanclief accepted our invitation to be the congress’s honourary chair,” says Roberts. “Few Canadians know agriculture as well as he does – from operating a farm to setting national agricultural policy – or have his appreciation for Canadian agriculture and the role of the agricultural media.”
Vanclief served as a Member of Parliament from 1988 to 2004. During that time he was Opposition Critic for Agriculture, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture, Chairman of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture, and Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
Prior to his political career, Vanclief operated Willowlee Farms Limited in Prince Edward County, a diversified livestock, fruit and vegetable, and grain and oilseeds farm now owned and operated by his son. He has been honoured may times for his contributions to Canadian agriculture, and in 2010 he was inducted into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame.
“This is an exciting time for Canadian agriculture and I am pleased to be part of the congress and to welcome visitors from across Canada and many international countries, all of whom will have a chance to see the innovations and accomplishments driving Canada’s diverse agricultural sector,” said Vanclief.
More than 260 delegates will gather for five days of professional development, education and camaraderie at the congress, being held September 14-18. The congress theme, Experience New World Agriculture, will serve to showcase how Canada’s relatively young agricultural sector (compared to many other IFAJ member countries) is making a place for itself globally.
IFAJ is a non-political, professional association for agricultural journalists in 31 countries. Visit www.ifaj2011.com for congress details.
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For more information:
Owen Roberts, 519-824-4120 Ext. 58278 or owen@uoguelph.ca
Lilian Schaer, lilianschaer@agrifoodprojects.ca
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Other congress news
Professional boost for 27 in Canada - info on IFAJ's Master Class and Young Leader programs at the 2011 congress
Deadlines for 2011 IFAJ contests
Freelancers: What's waiting for you at an IFAJ congress?
by Allison Finnamore, Canada
With the early registration deadline for the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists’ congress in Canada less than a week away, now is the best time to decide if you're attending. Of course, you can register after the early bird deadline, but it will cost an additional $200.
Freelance writers have a particular concern. The cost of the congress -- whether it's the Canadian guild meeting, or the international meeting -- is always top of mind. The congress cost is a big expense, and when I have to pay the entire cost myself, it certainly makes me stop and look at my financial situation before dishing out any money.
As well, I live in eastern Canada, so airfare is another consideration. It usually costs me extra to fly anywhere.
But when I look at the benefit of attending either the national or international congress, I ask myself one question: Why I would I NOT attend? It's money very well spent; in fact, the expense is an investment in my career.
Why’s that?
Well, at IFAJ 2011 in Guelph, Ont. in September -- or any of the other IFAJ congresses -- there will be about 300 agricultural communicators and journalists, from all around the world. By attending, I'll have the chance to meet each one of them. We'll dine together, sit beside each other on the bus, muck through barns in our disposable protective footware, share a table at professional development sessions, tour food processors wearing silly hair nets, toast each other over drinks, sing together and share laughs. The congresses are held in relaxed, casual settings and are the perfect forum to get to know other like-minded professionals. The experiences we share at these congresses solidify our profession.
It's easy to look around the congresses and see the teambuilding going on. But there's also a lot of business activity happening that we don't see. Our national guilds (and IFAJ) include public relations professionals, journalists, communicators, broadcasters, editors, publishers -- anyone involved in ag communications. Many of the people in a position to assign work or hire contract writers are often circulating among us.
All the contract work I do today is because of just one connection I made at one of our national guild meetings. That work now puts me in a situation where I subcontract to freelance writers. I know of several others within our national guild who are in the same position. It's not unusual for me to receive phone calls from others in our guild who are looking for a freelance writer or someone to do some public relations writing for them. Last year at the IFAJ congress in Belgium, I overheard a conversation between a publisher and a foreign freelance journalist. The journalist was considering immigrating to the country where the publisher works. "Give me a call," the publisher said, "I'm always looking for good writers."
And even if I don't get a call immediately after the congress for a chance at freelance work, I could very well receive a call sometime in the future, or could myself been looking for a freelancer in the months ahead. You never know for sure when it's going to benefit you, but I feel it's our job as freelancers to work at these gatherings to make sure we are a part of every opportunity.
The cost of a congress is a concern, and I agree that it holds merit. But think of the alternative. Lower cost accommodations, such as a university residence, could be considered. But that has its own set of complications. The congress time would be restricted to June, July or early August, a time when many people are on vacation with their families. And in many parts of the world, those months tend to bring warmer temperatures. Many university residences aren't air conditioned. And it's common for residences to request off season visitors bring their own linens. Is that any way to welcome visitors to our country?
The early registration cost for the IFAJ 2011 congress is $1,090, double occupancy. Sharing a room with someone you don't know can often be a gamble, but if we're looking at this to save money, it's the best place to start. That price includes your hotel fee for six nights, all meals, bus transportation to farms and tickets to a dinner theatre event hotel fees. It's certainly not a bare bones congress, but it isn't lavish either. The hotel is modest -- exactly what is to be expected of a conference of professionals.
Every handshake at an IFAJ or guild congress is an opportunity for future work. It pays to be open to every chance we have to develop and grow our career, even if the upfront cost might hurt a little.
Allison has been a freelance journalist in New Brunswick, Canada for nearly 20 years. |
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