The Tropentag conference this year has been organized by the Universities of Göttigen and Kassel that are currently cooperating in green areas of research. This cooperation between the 2 universities started in 2005 with synergies that extend to shared professorships and a joint Masters’ Programme on Sustainable International Agriculture that focuses on 3 key areas of agriculture: international organic agriculture, tropical agriculture and agribusiness and rural development economies. The joint research focuses on agroecological problems and the resilience of food production systems which is the theme of the tropentag this year.

In their welcoming addresses: Vice-President Prof. Dr. Hiltraud Casper-Hehne, University of Göttigen and President Prof. Dr. Rolf-Dieter Postlep, University of Kassel expressed their gratitude to have their institutions host such an important and relevant event. The issues at Tropentag are special to their hearts since their institutions are developing capacity and are now have experience and influence in biology, agricultural sciences and forest ecology, biodiversity and sustainable land use.

It is Prof. Dr. Rolf-Dieter Postlep hope that in this forum the academic and socio political discussions will strengthen the relationships and trust among the scientists, socio economists and policy makers.