FOREWORD

On behalf of the Organizing Committee, it was an honor and a pleasure to welcome the participants to Gümüshane and to the 'First International Rose Hip Conference', 7-10 September 2004. Special thanks are due to Prof. Dr. Yasar Sütbeyaz (Rector of Atatürk University), Mr. Hasan Basri Guzeloglu (Governor of Gümüshane), Prof. Dr. Uygun Aksoy (ISHS Board member), Prof. Dr. Hilde Nybom (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences) and Prof. Dr. Lyle E. Craker (Chair of the ISHS Section Medicinal and Aromatic Plants) for their support at every stage of our preparations.

Everywhere in the world, an international conference is an important event for scientists working in the same field. In our case, this was especially important since it was the first international gathering of scientists involved in rose hip research. The scientists came from 13 different countries to meet in Gümüşhane in North Eastern Turkey, where rose hips have been harvested from wild-growing rose plants for a long time. Turkey is one of the most important rose hip-producing countries in the world. It is also a gene centre, with 25 different rose species having been reported so far.

Roses are widely grown in gardens for their flowers. Recently there has also been an increasing consumer interest throughout the world concerning the use of health-promoting foods. This has created a special market segment for high-quality alternative fruits such as rose hips. Interest in the cultivation of roses as a fruit crop is now growing day by day. Fresh rose hips are very rich in many bioactive compounds like ascorbic acid, carotenoids and polyphenols. The fruit is used fresh or dried for the production of e.g. jam, jelly, marmalade, soft drinks and tea. In addition, rose hips are also being used for ornamental purposes.

At this conference, we had ample opportunity to exchange scientific findings, discuss with colleagues and create personal contacts among specialists. The scientific contributions presented at the conference will be of great importance for scientists who work on rose hips as well as for people who grow, market or process rose hips in any way. One of our participants, Dr. Dik de Vries, has been invited to provide an overview of the most significant results from the conference (see next page in this volume).

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sezai Ercisli, Convener