2014 ASHS Annual Conference

Objective(s):
To communicate opportunities in international horticulture and to share potentials and challenges of international horticulture research, teaching and outreach activities.

Increasing trends in trans-continental travels, commerce, and trade, an easier access and availability to digital information, and greater level of cooperation amongst governments and institutions in agriculture have lead to increased opportunities in international horticulture in the past few decades. Today, opportunities in international horticulture are abound and varied, ranging from access to plant germplasm for crop improvement, human nutrition, or medicinal purposes, adoption of cultural practices for best crop production and pest management practices followed elsewhere, access to new and automated technologies available for horticulture crop production and post-harvest, exchange of knowledge and information in research and education as well as international employment opportunities. The eagerness and willingness to work and collaborate at an international platform involves either relocating to a different country or indirectly working with people and institutions from a different country. These opportunities then come with their challenges which can range from those being scientific in nature for example, unintentionally introducing a potentially invasive plant species or a potential pest problem, monetary challenges such as lack of adequate funding or inadequate knowledge on sources of funding, or socio-cultural challenges that could involve language barriers, dealing with regulations and strategies different from ones home country or targeting a different market population. The proposed workshop shall highlight some of the potentials and challenges of international horticulture research, teaching and outreach.