ISHS Acta Horticulturae 25: II Meeting on Horticultural Economics
FOREWORD |
| Author: | R.R.W. Folley |
| Abstract:
Comparatively few people, even among the ranks of applied economists, have any concern with or interest in the place of commercial horticulture in our daily lives. National groups of horticultural economists tend to be small, and only in an international meeting are they likely, to be able to have the stimulating experience of an exchange of ideas with a number of fellow-workers. At this second Symposium of the Economics Commission the number of participants was approximately twice that of the first Symposium held only two years previously: it began as act of faith, but as time went by and there was evidence of the extent of support for the meeting and of the goodwill and practical assistance of the host country, financial success, at least, seemed assured. Finance was a considerable matter, because the Symposium had to be self-supporting. In this connection the Commission's unbounded thanks are due to the Institut National de Recherches Agronomiques for its work on our behalf, to the Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen for the cost-effectiveness of its provision of food and shelter and to the staff of the Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique for another basic need of human welfare - convivality. It was indeed fortunate that this critical second Symposium was held in the stimulating environment of Montpellier.
The intensity of conversation and remarkable unity which quickly developed between members is a good indication that the group's effectiveness will grow.
The first requirement of the Montpellier Symposium was to establish that the economics of horticulture was a viable discipline.
Everyone left the meeting convinced that there would be and should be further meetings, and viability was not in doubt.
This is the assurance on which we can now build. | |
