WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Conservation Technology Information Center are gathering experts from around the world to investigate the role of conservation agriculture systems in sequestering carbon and the potential to contribute significantly to the mitigation of climate change.

Researchers, scientists and professionals from Africa, Australia, Canada, Central America, India, South America, U.S. and elsewhere, will meet at the Beck Agricultural Center (at Purdue University's Agronomy Center for Research and Education) in West Lafayette, Ind., on October 28, 29 and 30, 2008 for the Conservation Agriculture Carbon Offset Consultation .

This Consultation will focus on discussing and debating the potential for carbon sequestration through agricultural conservation to engage in the global carbon offset market. Included will be the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat on carbon finance and how it can assist in enabling GHG agricultural mitigation and carbon sink actions and measures, with particular reference to the Clean Development Mechanism (financial mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol).

The outcome of this meeting will be a report on action steps that will be necessary to assess the potential in the existing global carbon offset market related to specific cropping practices and procedures which may allow inclusion of no-till and/or conservation agriculture cropping systems into the carbon offset programs through carbon finance.

For more information or to register online, visit CTIC’s web site. Registration for the workshop is $150 and includes three full days of expert discussion, plus lunch and break refreshments. Register online here by Oct. 1, 2008. Discounted hotel rooms have been blocked for this meeting at the University Plaza Hotel (deadline is Sept. 22, 2008). To make a hotel room reservation, call (765) 463-5511 or (800) 777-9808.

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CTIC, a not-for-profit organization located in West Lafayette, Ind., is the reliable source of information and technology for environmentally responsible and economically viable agricultural conservation. To learn more, visit www.conservationinformation.org.