Overview First International Agarwood Conference,
Viet Nam, November 2003.

Between November 10th and 15th, 2003, The Rainforest Project hosted the First International Agarwood Conference. We are pleased to present an overview, participant impressions, and photos of the event. Over 80 delegates attended from a multitude of backgrounds and countries. During two days of presentations in Ho Chi Minh City , chemists, forest pathologists, molecular biologists, pharmacologists, business people, government officials, forestry extension and conservation experts, perfumers, incense manufacturers, and aromatherapists exchanged ideas on wide-ranging topics. Following the two days of presentations, delegates traveled to An Giang Province in the Mekong Delta to visit one of TRP's agarwood project sites. Here conference participants had the opportunity to talk with farmers and project scientists at the TRP nursery, local farmer-managed plantations, and the site for TRP's Agarwood inducement experiments. Participants also engaged in a daylong workshop, which provided an informal setting to exchange ideas and formulate future directions for Agarwood production, processing and marketing.

Below you will find:

•  Conference presentations overview
•  Statistics on participants
•  Delegate ratings of various aspects of the conference, and questionnaire responses
•  Outline and results of workshop Chau Doc
•  Photo report

The First International Agarwood Conference provided a unique international and interdisciplinary forum to discuss the challenges that Agarwood development poses. TRP will continue to work on economically and environmentally sustainable Agarwood development in Vietnam and elsewhere. Several book and scientific journal publications are in preparation; information on these projects will be posted on this website as soon as it is available. In cooperation with others, TRP is currently planning the Second International Agarwood Conference.

Once again, we would like to again thank all presenters, participants, counterparts and organizing staff for their enthusiastic and tireless efforts, which made the first International Agarwood Conference such a success.

With warmest regards from Vietnam on behalf of all TRP staff,
Henry Heuveling van Beek, Director TRP [and] Agarwood Program Coordinator.
Ho Chi Minh City, April 2004.