More than 200 delegates from around the world attended the 50th anniversary IFAJ Congress in Hamar, Norway, in August. Despite airline security scares which disrupted international flights, most delegates managed to get to the event for a busy five-day program under the banner, Feed your senses.
"Thanks to everyone who took part, building networks and bringing knowledge about farming a step further around the world," said Norwegian organizing committee chair Mari Bjørke. "We hope you enjoyed participating and that you have many good memories from the congress, and remember what you tasted, smelled, looked at and heard during these few days. Please keep on with all the networking you now have started. Globalisation will influence agricultural journalism more and more, and it is so important to build and nurse your relations with colleagues all over the world."
Papers and presentations from key sessions are available at www.ifaj2006.com The site also features a photo gallery with pictures taken during field trips and social events. The photos are available for publication, as long as the photographer is credited.

Find out what your colleagues thought about their adventures in Norway. A contingent of delegates from the United States prepared a series of special reports about the highlights of the congress program, including a remarkable outdoor performance of Peer Gynt and tours to rural enterprises. Chaos at Heathrow airport meant Aussie delegate Gordon Collie missed most of the congress, but he made up for it on the post congress tour. And Danish delegate Aage Krogsdam loved the fact so many young people attended. Among the youthful contingent were two students from Guelph University in Canada. Find out how they ended up in Norway and how they plan to share the experience.

Two official meetings of the IFAJ were held in Hamar, Norway. To read the official report from the IFAJ Executive Committee meeting click here, and for information about what happened at the 2006 IFAJ Delegates Assembly click here. The treasurer's report is also available online for you to read.

Organisers of the congress in Norway are keen to receive copies, PDF files or links of stories written from attending the 2006 IFAJ Congress. Please send them to mari.bjorke@geno.no

Think the life of an agricultural journalist is safe? The facts show otherwise. In a special report, Jim Evans reveals the shocking truth about rural journalists who have died doing their job and challenges us to speak up for the universal right to free expression.

Members of the British Guild of Agricultural Journalists (GAJ) have won both major IFAJ awards for excellence in farm journalism and photography this year. Andrew Blake took out the Star Prize for Agricultural Journalism, sponsored by John Deere, and John Eveson won the Star Prize for Agricultural Photography, sponsored by DeLaval. Trophies were presented to the winners in London last month by GAJ President Baroness Hazel Byford. View Eveson's beautiful picture and read more about the journalism award. You can also read about the results in German.

More than 100 of the world's poorest countries will now be able to access leading food and agriculture journals for little or no cost, according to a recent report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. A public-private partnership known as Global Online Research in Agriculture (AGORA) is making the program possible. Thirty-seven of the world's leading science publishers, FAO and other partners are providing access to more than 900 agriculture-related journals. Read the report here.

Internet-based news services have the edge when it comes to reporting agricultural issues that unfold quickly. The way new technology is changing the media landscape was illustrated in a recent cattle disease outbreak in the Netherlands, according to Hans Siemes. Read more here.

Members of the Canadian Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (CanACT) from the University of Guelph received top honours in the annual Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow awards. Competition winners were recognized at the organization's annual meeting held in the U.S in conjunction with the Agricultural Media Summit. Find out more about the 13 awards they collected.

The IFAJ will go to Asia for the first time next year when the 2007 Congress is held in Japan. Find out more about this exciting event and how to register for less than 1000 Euros.

Learn more in English or German about this special production celebrating 50 years of IFAJ members reporting on agricultural issues around the world. Copies are free for IFAJ members.

Read more about the activities of agricultural media guilds and members around the world - here

Argentina is the IFAJ's newest member country. Find out more about their guild and Argentina's dynamic agricultural sector. Or read about them joining IFAJ in Spanish by visiting www.ifaj.org