The French organization for agricultural research and international cooperation, focused on the sustainable development of tropical and Mediterranean regions, will be present at Fruit Logistica next week (Hall 25C-02). Lisa Blangy, head of product development and services at CIRAD, explains how the research center has been preparing for the event: “The slogan of our booth sums up our objective for this year to be a research and development partner, aiming to serve sustainable agriculture and the markets” in the tropical fruit and vegetable sector.
Lisa confirms that several researchers will be present at the CIRAD booth for the duration of the fair. “We will have an expert on Life-Cycle Analysis (LCA) and value chains; a member of the QualiSud research team (on the quality of agro-food products) specialized in post-harvest processes; a researcher-breeder in the citrus field, as well as a banana world expert. Regarding research promotion, I will be there with several colleagues, to help the researchers identify new partners and establish new collaborations in research and development.”
Their attendance is highly justified, given the growing interest in sustainable development in the tropical fruit and vegetable sector. “We observe a growing interest in sustainable development from very different interlocutors at the institutional level as well as in private partnerships,” explains Lisa. “This interest is very much reflected in our research and development projects in the private and public sectors; projects which are carried out in southern countries, at a large scale and on several territories or sectors. It constitutes a strategic point for us, to which we devote a lot of effort.”
For more information: 
Lisa Blangy
CIRAD
Délégation à la Valorisation et à l’Innovation
TA181/B Campus International de Baillarguet
34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
Phone: +33 4 67 59 37 61
lisa.blangy@cirad.fr
www.cirad.fr