Marrakech 2010

The IFEAT 2010 Annual Conference was a resounding success for delegates who attended the event which took place at the Sofitel Hotel, Marrakech, near to the old town of Medina on 26th to 30th September. A record number of delegates (738) and accompanying persons (127) representing 51 countries were able to enjoy the warm welcome and efficient organisation that ensured the success of this event. Under the Chairmanship of Alain Frix, the Local Organising Committee provided superb entertainment and networking opportunities around a programme of interesting and topical presentations on the theme of “North African and Mediterranean Essential Oils and Aromas”.
 

The majority of delegates arrived and checked in on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th September at the three Conference hotels located in close proximity. On the evening of the 26th September the Welcome Reception was held in the tropical gardens of the Sofitel Hotel. Local traditional music was played and this set the scene for the week to come.

Day one, Monday 27th September, the conference officially started with the Moroccan Minister of Agriculture and Maritime Resources, Mr Aziz Akhenouch who gave a welcome address. Following this presentation there were three lectures providing detailed analyses of Morocco’s essential oils and agriculture sector, including a presentation on argan oil, which is unique to Morocco. The theme continued throughout the day on topics centring on other North African and Mediterranean oils, including Egypt, Tunisia (which included two interesting films on essential oils in Tunisia) and Turkey. There was also a presentation on the PASS cluster established to increase the competitiveness of the natural fragrance sector in France and North Africa. The first lecture day ended with a panel discussion on North African and Mediterranean Essential Oils.
 

Day two, Tuesday 28th September saw the morning lectures discuss product identification, green extraction techniques and global markets. During day two, the IFEAT Business Meeting also took place where members of IFEAT met and voted on various items, including the adoption of new IFEAT Articles of Association and the election of two new Executive Committee members, Jonpaul Howarth from Australia and Jorge Miralles from Spain. In addition, Alastair Hitchen, the retiring Executive Committee Chairman, gave his report on the past year’s activities, while other reports were presented on IFEAT-supported courses on flavours and perfumery, the forthcoming IFEAT Indonesia Study Tour in 2011 and next year’s Conference in Barcelona as well as a review of IFEAT’s Conciliation Service.
 

Dr Jamal-Eddine Chahboun of Phytotagante then presented the Medal Lecture in which he reviewed his involvement in the Moroccan and French essential oils industry over the past two decades. Following the presentation of the IFEAT Medal, Gaëlle Jacobsen of Unilever and Dorothea Bodnar of Dreidoppel GmbH received their awards as Best Students for 2010 in their respective IFEAT courses held earlier in the year.

The afternoon session saw four lectures on the industry in Sub-Saharan Africa, with special emphasis on smallholder and organic production. A Discussion Panel followed this on the state of the industry in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Annual IFEAT Dinner was held on the evening of the 28th at the beautiful setting of the Palmeraire, surrounded by hundreds of illuminated palm trees, a sea of red carpets and dozens of Berber tents creating a unique scenic experience. The 2010 Founders Award was presented to Dr. Clinton Green who has had an active involvement with IFEAT since the late 1970s, initially in the capacity of technical advisor, but from 1998 to 2006 he was the IFEAT Conference programme coordinator and editor of the conference proceedings. As with the Welcome Reception, guests were entertained by local traditional musicians and belly dancing. At the end of the evening guests were guided back to their coaches as horses and riders paraded up and down, firing their rifles.
 

Day three, Wednesday 29th September, was a full and busy day for those participating in the Field trip to the factories of Phytotagante, Santis Sarl and Naturex. It was an early start but participants enjoyed a full day’s experience and gained a greater understanding and insight into the workings of these three companies that play such an importance role in the production and processing of Moroccan essential oils. The Essential Oils Short Course was also held on this day, presented by Dr Brian Lawrence, and this too was well attended.
 

The last day, Thursday 30th September began with a morning session of lectures on “Environmental and Organic Developments”, including papers on guaiac wood oil in Paraguay, the impact of EU pesticide regulations and trends in organic cosmetics and personal care products. There followed two presentations on African gum arabic and resins, particularly frankincense. The afternoon sessions covered “Regulatory and Legislative Developments”, which generated much discussion between delegates and the Panel at the end of the day. Legislative developments, particularly in the USA and EU are having a profound effect on the industry and the way that business is being conducted. Topics covered were a review of the new legislative and regulatory developments taking place in the USA, the new EU flavouring legislation, a review of REACH consortia and what is meant by “natural”.
 

The end of the 33rd IFEAT Conference saw the Closing Banquet held at the prestigious Beldi Country Club. Guests enjoyed a formal sit-down dinner and were entertained by a cabaret act. A disco was also provided for those wanting to dance the night away under the stars.
 

The success of the Conference arose from the efforts of many people. These included: the IFEAT Marrakech Conference Committee and the Local Organising Committee, particularly the chairman Mr. Jalal Charaf; the delegates who have continued to support the IFEAT Conferences with their attendance, advertisements and sponsorship of coffee breaks, lunches and evening events; and finally the speakers that give of their time to organise and give presentations, often travelling long distances. Their efforts, along with the Session Chairs and the Discussion Panel members, are much appreciated.
 

Conference Sponsors