South African Conference on Essential and Vegetable oils this week – “Local to Global; East or West, Home is best”

The 3rd South African Conference on Essential and Vegetable oils – “Local to Global; East or West, Home is best” happens this week at the Pretoria National Botanical Gardens.

Thursday 25th, after arrival and registration, will see Dr Elsie Meintjies, from UNIDO opening the conference. The programme is:

9:00 – 09:15 Words of Welcome and Opening of Conference
Conference programme director: Dr Elsie Meintjies, United Nations Industrial Development      Organization (UNIDO)

9:15– 09:25 Dr Tshenge Demana
Chief Director Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic)

9:25 – 09:35 Mr Daniel Lauchenauer
Head of Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO, South Africa

09:35 – 09:45 Dr Diego Masera
UNIDO Representative for Southern Africa

09:45 – 09:55 Ms Nnana Makhubu
Chairperson: Southern African Essential Oil Producers’ Association (SAEOPA)

09:55 – 10:25 Keynote speaker: The importance and relevance of aromatic and medicinal plant research – science of the future?
Prof Ben-Erik van Wyk, University of Johannesburg

10:25 – 11:00 Group photo and tea/coffee break

Session 1: NAVIGATING GLOBAL STANDARDS AAND HARMONIZING NATIONAL REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS WITH NEW DEVELOPMENTS
Session moderator: Ms Pri Elamthuruthil, UNIDO GQSP-SA

11:00 – 11:20 Accessing markets through standards and quality assurance
Dr Sadhvir Bissoon, South African Bureau of Standards (SABS)

11:20 – 11:40 Labelling and pre-packaging requirements for compliance – ignorance of the law is no excuse
Jaco Marneweck, National Regulator of Compulsory Specifications (NRCS)

11:40 – 12:00 Testing for quality as value adding and marketing tool
Dr Dennis Mkize, National Metrology Institute of South Africa (NMISA)

12:00 – 12:20 The adulteration of essential and vegetable oils- a global problem
Dr Prabodh Satyal, Aromatic Plant Research Centre VIRTUAL

12:20 – 12 :40 The importance of testing facilities for essential and vegetable oils
Dr Prakasha Rao, CSIR Paradigm Institute, India

12:40 – 13:00 Q & A

13:00 – 14:00 Lunch and Exhibitions

Session 2: MARKETS
Exploring new horizons: local to global market trends in the essential and vegetable oils
Session moderator: Preshanthie Naicker, Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DFFE)

14:00 – 14:20 Essential oil combinations and antimicrobial activity
Prof Sandy van Vuuren, University of Witwatersrand

14:20 – 14:40 The importance of essential and vegetable oils in the flavour and fragrance
industry
Sharon Bolel, South African Association of Flavour and Fragrance Industry (SAAFFI)

14:40 – 15:00 Vegetable and essential oil plants with potential as cosmeceutical products in future
Prof Godfrey Zharare, University of Zululand

15:00– 15:20 Locally produced oils in aromatherapy
Doryce Sher Aroma Apothecary

15:20 – 15:40 Q & A

15:40 – 15:45 Vote of thanks
Bernard Bau, Industrial Development Officer, UNIDO

15:45 – 17:00 Networking Coffee/tea, steam distillation and cold pressing demos, viewing of exhibitions

DAY 2, 26th JULY 2024

08:30 – 09:00 Arrival and registration

09:00 – 9:15 Recap of day 1
Dr Elsie Meintjies, UNIDO

09:15 – 09:45 Innovation in future industries. Keynote speaker: How to innovate from where you are?
Dr Shaun Cunningham, Mesopartner

Session 3: AGRICULTURE
Cultivating success: Innovations in local agriculture for global impact
Moderator: Ms Rosemary Du Preez, Director SAEOPA

09:45 – 10:05 Essential oil crops cultivation innovation. Effect of planting density, harvesting frequency and shade/open field production on fresh yield of Helichrysum
Prof Riana Kleynhans, Tshwane University of Technology

10:05 – 10:25 Importance of medicinal, essential and vegetable oils plants as Industrial crops
Ms Johanna Mokobodi, Department of Agriculture, Limpopo Industrial Crops

10:25- 10:45 Q & A

10:45 – 11:15 Tea, networking break and exhibition

Session 4: SECURING THE FUTURE: STRATEGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAINS
Moderator: Ms Rosemary du Preez, Director, SAEOPA

11:15 – 11:35 Wild harvesting and cultivation practises by communities
Tafara Shuro, Qobo Qobo

11:35 – 11:55 New developments for indigenous aromatic plants. A review of indigenous aromatic species
Dr Ryan Ratray, University of Johannesburg

11:55– 12:35 SADC panel: partner producers reporting on production and challenges

• Angola: Rene Munya, SADC Natural products VIRTUAL
• Botswana: Yemi Aganga, Natural Product Association of Botswana VIRTUAL
• Namibia: Ms Dagmar Honsbein, Cosmetic Producers of Namibia VIRTUAL
• Zimbabwe: Ms Caroline Jacquet, Bio Innovation VIRTUAL

12:35– 12:45 Q & A

12:45 – 14:00 Lunch and networking

Session 5: COLLABORATIVE SUCCESS: LEVERAGING LOCAL AND GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS
Moderator: Dr Jayne de Vos, NMISA

14:00 – 14:20 Shea butter and Moringa experiences
Joshua Harunah, AMH Global Traders, Ghana

14:20 – 14:40 South Africa as partner to Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Academy for Female Entrepreneurs in Africa
Dr Bhavish Jugurnath, University of Mauritius

14:30 – 14:45 Essential and vegetable oil in the South African Agri-tourism
Ms Karen Swanepoel, Executive Director, SAEOPA

14:45 – 15:15 Q & A

15:15 – 15: 20 Vote of thanks
Ms Nnana Makhubu, Chairperson, SAEOPA

15:20 – 15:30 Closing
Dr Elsie Meintjies

15:30 – 16:30 Networking Coffee/tea

We wish all conference attendees a helpful, very worthwhile two days and congratulate the programme organisers on this initiative.

Relevant Agribook pages include “Essential oils“.

Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash