Chicago, November 2, 2009 (word count: 813)
The Plant International Meeting (PIM) is organized every two years by VEGEPOLYS,  the world reference cluster of specialized plants (horticulture, fruit and vegetable farming, seeds, tree farming, winegrowing, medicinal plants, mushrooms, cider and tobacco). Dedicated to business leaders, this international meeting will be held next January 12 and 13 at the Congress Center in Angers, France. The theme of this third edition will be “Success Stories,” illustrated with true accounts of business leaders as well as innovation and technological experts. Complementary to the SIVAL trade show and the Fruits and Vegetables Event that also take place at the same time in Angers, PIM is especially intended for all decision-makers in the sector.

Two days to move forward together
This is a one-of-a-kind event to help professionals, researchers and institutional players from all over the world to exchange, share and combine their experience regarding innovative, environmentally friendly and healthy plants. The Plant International Meeting will help participants develop collaborative projects, establish commercial, industrial or science partnerships or even find new foreign markets, particularly for varietal innovation, plant protection, urban landscaping, plant properties development or business intelligence.

2. Business meetings
There will be a dedicated area where PIM participants will have the opportunity to get together, find out more about VEGEPOLYS and make new contacts with its network (cluster services and businesses within the sector) thanks to the identification of resources, services and skills linked to innovation and technological development.

Business meetings will take place on Tuesday, January 12 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 4 to 5 p.m. and on Wednesday, January 13 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. The participants will have access to four different areas. In the Research & Services area, they will be able to meet with experts and find out about the cluster’s services concerning varietal innovation, plant protection, the urban landscape, the development of plant properties, economic intelligence, international issues, etc. In the Business & Know-How area, they will be given the opportunity to establish partnerships or carry out business, to identify the know-how required to facilitate active cooperation with private laboratories, technical centers, ingredient or technology suppliers, service providers, etc. There will also be a Subsidiaries area, where all the VEGEPOLYS subsidiaries and their resources will be introduced. And finally in the Partners area, sponsors and partners will be able to make presentations

PIM 2010 registration rates:
Register now online at www.pim2010.eu. Subject to 350 available admissions (5% discount from 2 people per organization).

VEGEPOLYS Pass:
Two days (excluding gala) per person +1 admission to SIVAL and Fruit & Veg Event
VEGEPOLYS member: €150 exc. tax ($225)
Non-member: €200 exc. tax ($300)

Gala on the evening of Tuesday, January 12:
VEGEPOLYS member: €50 exc. tax ($75)
Non-member: €70 exc. tax ($105)

About VEGEPOLYS:
Labeled a competitive cluster with a worldwide reach in July 2005, and confirmed as such in 2008, VEGEPOLYS represents a unique territorial aggregation in Europe through its production capacity and expertise, and through the presence of all channels in the field of specialized plants and of a high-level learning and research cluster. Throughout this territory, businesses grow, create jobs, deploy learning and research programs and give birth to new production technologies. VEGEPOLYS development is founded on a multi-centennial production tradition in the Loire Country. The region’s soil and weather conditions, its energy, the know-how of its businesses as well as the support from the government and public authorities over several decades have enabled it to become a leader in the field of specialized plants. The networking of businesses, research and learning – the cluster’s founding principle - fosters exchanges, marshals the energies and combines the means in order to innovate faster and better.

8 channels: Ornamental horticulture, fruit and vegetable farming, seeds, tree farming, winegrowing, medicinal plants, mushrooms, cider and tobacco.

4 areas of action:
- Food and nutrition: varietal research in fruit and vegetables, product quality.
- Health and wellness: the discovery of vegetal molecules in depolluting plants, advanced research on plants with strong antioxidant properties, medicinal plants, applied research in dietary supplements and cosmetics.
- Landscape, environment and life setting: urban landscape, new ornamental designs.
- Sustainable development: the search for plants with low water consumption, the reduction of input agents (fertilisers and phytosanitary products), integrated biological protection (IBP) that provides natural resistance solutions to fight pests and disease.

VEGEPOLYS in numbers:
- 250 members
- 420 researchers and university researchers
- 25,000 jobs
- 4,000 businesses
- 25 education programs
- 2,500 students
- 66 certified projects
- €32 million in cooperative project funding

For more information, please contact:

Press Contact
VinciCom
Christelle Roignant / Régis Gasnier
Tel.: +33 (0)2 97 29 07 74
Cell: +33 (0)6 83 81 61 61
E-mail: presse@vincicom.com
Web: www.pim2010.eu

Vegepolys
Communication Manager
Emmanuelle Rousseau
Tel.: +33 2 41 72 17 37
Cell: +33 (0)6 33 75 38 41
E-mail: international@vegepolys.eu
Web: www.vegepolys.eu

or:

FRENCH TECHNOLOGY PRESS OFFICE
205 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3740
Chicago, IL 60601
Fax: (312) 327-5261
E-mail: contact.ftpo@ubifrance.fr

Chicago, September 30, 2009 (word count: 427) 
Pellenc is launching its 8000 Range, intended to improve winegrowers’ working conditions and grape harvesting in general. It boasts a new motorization, a cabin with reworked ergonomics and design, as well as a control panel featuring all of the latest functionalities. Already available for the next harvesting season, it will be introduced in nine models during SITEVI 2009, the vine & wine and fruit & vegetable sectors’ international trade show held from December 1 to 3 in Montpellier, France, at booth 12 A 049.

Compliant with new anti-pollution standards, its common-rail electronic injection John Deere engines (Tier III, 4 by 4,525cc and 6 by 6,788cc turbo cylinders), ranging from 100 to 173 HP, provide power and easy handling. The heavy-duty, double-size Poclain wheel motors, paired with optimal load-spreading between forward and rear axles, ensure optimal motivity. At the same time, the Power Control (developed by Pellenc) regulates speed and controls power distribution between tooling use and carrier motion. The Permanent Integral Transmission (TPI, a Pellenc patent) on four autonomous wheels, driven by a new electronically controlled hydrostatic pump, prevents all skidding at any speed, in forward or reverse, in bends or at row ends. 

The cabin is made of a single-frame structure and features: an ergonomic driver’s area that includes a multiple-position seat incorporating the new joystick and its backlit, touch-sensitive controls, a control box with guidance and height indicators for proper positioning within the row, a safety inclinometer, side-shift correction and ground tracking. The steering wheel is smaller to improve seating. The arm-rests and console are one piece, facilitating in-factory install of a mobile phone or PDA holder close to the console. This new cockpit also features a hardcopy-display board, a file holder and a cup holder. Visibility and driving have not been forgotten. The new headlights, fully concealed within the cabin roof and spoiler, as well as the leg and cargo bed lights, are powerful (all standard equipment) and help perform night-time work in optimal conditions. Lastly, a guardrail at the rear and a handle provide easy access.

The 8000 series carrier may be equipped with a video kit (a control screen and 2 color cameras located front and back of the carrier or of the harvest front), which makes for easy maneuvering including at night, for instance when dumping the onboard bins, entering a row or reversing at row ends. In multifunctional mode, the arm position indicator helps assess the working height at a glance. Lastly, in the interests of safety, a glass-breaking mallet is set within easy reach.

For more information, please contact: 

PELLENC AMERICA Inc.
Marc Paisnel
Chief Executive Officer
3171 Guerneville Road
Santa Rosa, CA – 95401
Tel.: (707) 568 7286
E-mail: marc.paisnel@pellencus.com 
Web: www.pellencus.com

PELLENC SA
Flore Bougrier
Export Marketing Assistant
Route de Cavaillon – BP 47
84122 Pertuis Cedex  – France
Tel.: +33 4 90 09 45 49
Fax: +33 4 90 09 47 48
E-mail: f.bougrier@pellenc.com

or:

 FRENCH TECHNOLOGY PRESS OFFICE
205 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3740
Chicago, IL 60601
Fax: (312) 327-5261
E-mail: contact.ftpo@ubifrance.fr 

MORE THAN 100,000 TO ATTEND SPACE 2009 LIVESTOCK TRADE SHOW
IN FRANCE THIS SEPTEMBER

High resolution images are available on request.

Chicago, June 3, 2009 (word count: 354)

From September 15 to 18, Rennes, the world livestock capital located in the west of France, will be hosting SPACE, a veritable world of livestock. The Salers and Simmental cattle breeds will be the guests of honor during this international breed show. Some 1,300 exhibitors (including 360 from about 30 different countries) will represent the cattle (dairy and beef), pig, poultry, rabbit, sheep and goat industries, covering some 1,500 trade names. SPACE will exhibit in 11 halls over 30 acres, with an emphasis on technical innovations, offering visits to farms and agro-industrial companies in the sector. High level conferences, competitions and animal auctions will be on offer for the expected 110,000 visitors including 9,000 international visitors.

SPACE is the international reference in terms of cattle breeds, and SPACE 2009 will exhibit more than 800 cattle from 12 different races — both throughout the show and during competitions — that have been carefully selected. Sheep and goat breeds will also be presented.

The various exhibitors will be able to provide answers on themes including:
• Improvement of genetic performances, artificial insemination, hatcheries
• Improved technical performances (feed, animal health)
• Modernizing agricultural properties (software, management advice, agri-energy)
• Improvement of working conditions for breeders
• Design and construction of buildings
• Work on conforming to latest standards (septic tanks, spreading equipment).

Visitors can also see the results of research and development work at a specially reserved R&D area at the show.

A particular welcome is reserved for international visitors with the Club International. With the assistance of a hostess who speaks their language, our overseas visitors will be able to gather information, meet exhibitors or international partners, etc. They will be offered exclusive visits to farms and agro-industrial units in the region: animal feed factories, milk quality control centers, cattle (beef and dairy), pig, poultry and rabbit farms.

As always, the Innov’Space competition will reward the most innovative products, equipment and services of the animal production sector. In 2008, 47 new items were awarded this prize.

SPACE 2009 offers a full range of services for every sector under one roof.

For more information, please contact:

SPACE
Matthieu Le Moigne
International Manager
Rue Maurice Le Lannou – CS 54239
35042 RENNES CEDEX – FRANCE
Tel.: +33 2 23 48 28 90
Fax: +33 2 23 48 28 81
E-mail: m.lemoigne@space.fr
Web: www.space.fr

Or:

FRENCH TECHNOLOGY PRESS OFFICE
205 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3740
Chicago, IL 60601
Fax: (312) 327-5261
E-mail: contact.ftpo@ubifrance.fr

PIERUCCI DAIRY’S CHEESES BEAR THE FLAVOR OF CORSICA
Coming to Summer Fancy Food Show, New York, June 28-30, booth 728

Chicago, May 19, 2009 (word count: 219) 

High-resolution images are available on request.

In the heart of the stunning Corsican countryside, the Pierucci Cheese Dairy has been making cheese for generations. With leading products such as broccio and pecurino, it offers a whole range of traditional cheeses, either soft and mild, like its fresh cheeses, or a bit stronger and complex, like its more refined products.

With a herd that roams from the cape on the maquis (Corsica’s wild, fragrant shrubland) to the sweetness of the Eastern plain, to the sumptuous prairies of the Balagne mountains, the diversity of this pearl of nature gives Pierucci’s milks a myriad of different flavors due to the superb location and climate. Today almost 100 shepherd families are part of its identity and share the knowledge the dairy has inherited. The Pierucci Dairy offers full and varied range of cheeses which are mainly from ewe’s milk and goat’s milk that bear all the flavors of the maquis.

The Pierucci family have known how to adapt their methods while remaining true to the memory of the men and women who have contributed to their success. The traditional values which have been passed down over the years are still present in today’s production. In spite of industrial revolutions, its essence has remained unchanged for more than a century. The hands which gave Pierucci its success guarantee its future.

For more information, please contact: 

or:

 FRENCH TECHNOLOGY PRESS OFFICE
205 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3740
Chicago, IL 60601
Fax: (312) 327-5261
E-mail: contact.ftpo@ubifrance.fr 

CORSICA GASTRONOMIA PRESENTS FINE JAMS, TERRINES, AND MORE
Coming to Summer Fancy Food Show, New York, June 28-30, booth 728

Chicago, May 13, 2009 (word count: 179) 

High-resolution images are available on request.

Corsica Gastronomia is the leader on the local market thanks to its ability to anticipate the opportunities offered by technological progress.

The manufacturing, which relies on the emphasizing of the traditional country cooking, uses the latest technologies in food-processing. Sure of the quality of its products, which are enhanced without addition of coloring, preservatives or artificial flavors, Corsica Gastronomia is the guardian of a recognized know-how, the legacy of centuries of cooking traditions.

Corsica Gastronomia was founded by Charles Antona in 1991. The company has focused on quality since its creation. It has a European certificate (the agreement n° 2A.271.005 CE), and it favors innovation as a means of development.

Its 18-year existence has sharpened the team’s professionalism and today the company has turned its expertise to exports.

  For more information, please contact: 

SAS CORSICA GASTRONOMIA
Olivier Valéry
Business Director
Panchetta – 20167 Sarrola-Carcopino
Tel. +33 4 95 22 67 87
Fax +33 4 95 20 38 19
E-mail: commercial@corsicagastronomia.com
Web: www.corsicagastronomia.com

or:

 FRENCH TECHNOLOGY PRESS OFFICE
205 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3740
Chicago, IL 60601
Fax: (312) 327-5261
E-mail: contact.ftpo@ubifrance.fr 

FRENCH PAVILION OF FOOD TECHNOLOGY BUSINESSES AT IFT 2009 FROM JUNE 6 TO 9 IN ANAHEIM, CALIF.

Chicago, May 11, 2009 (word count: 691) 

A high-resolution logo is available on request.

For the first time in France, three food industry clusters have come together to form a “super cluster” for industry and business development: F2C. Standing for “field to consumer,” F2C brings together the already-established French clusters Vitagora, Valorial, and Agrimip. At this year’s edition of IFT 2009, eight French groups are exhibiting together on a French Pavilion to represent the country’s expertise in this field, encompassing all things food-industry-related: research, processing, and equipment. The French Pavilion will be at IFT 2009 in Anaheim, Calif., from June 6 to 9, at booth 1912.

Biosystemes is specialized in the development of products integrating scientific data collection and analysis, and presents FIZZ, its range of software suites for sensory analysis and consumer tests. FIZZ offers a unique choice of reliable data collection options for every situation: on networked taster PCs in the sensory booths, on independent laptops for tests on the field, over a web connection for tests over the Internet or an Intranet, and finally automatically scanned paper questionnaires.

Expert Boulanger provides training, expertise, advice and research in techniques of artisanal and industrial bakery for the baking and confectionary industries. Some current projects include: regularization and control of bread fermentation by modification of the process, recipe development, and defining and applying the manufacture and management of organic bread processes.

Innov’ia provides food companies with quick answers to develop and improve spray-dried products. For over 18 years, Innov’ia has acquired expertise in low temperature spray drying, prilling, agglomeration, microencapsulation and coating technologies for the best preservation of active functional ingredients and the optimization of their physical properties.

NEXIDIA is a private research company that has developed a combination of technological means (patented processes) to predict bacteria survival and activity under various industrial conditions and products. The company studies the adaptation process of microorganisms to their industrial environment and focuses on bacteria of industrial interest such as probiotics or lactic bacteria in order to characterize, select, adapt, and develop new bacterial starters for food applications and pharmaceutical supplements.

SEB will represent its T-fal brand at the show. A balanced diet also depends on how ingredients are prepared and cooked. With this in mind, T-fal® is launching a new concept called Nutritious & Delicious for healthy and pleasurable food. The first small appliance under the Nutritious & Delicious concept is ActiFry®. It is designed to increase both the nutritional value of the food and enhance the flavor and taste for greater all-round enjoyment. Is uses less oil to fry food and stirs the food automatically.

Burgundy University (Université de Bourgogne) is representing AllXbio at the show. AllXbio is a future start-up in biotechnology, its mission is to help industrialists to prove the biological effect of their dietary supplement and thus obtain health claims in Europe. By using the resources and technics of the research laboratories in Dijon (Burgundy University, INSERM, CNRS,…) AllXbio will propose bespoke preclinical studies allowing research and development teams at reduced cost to validate the potentialities of a product before a possible expensive clinical phase. AllXbio’s offering works within the framework of the new European regulation on dietary supplement. This regulation requires industrialists to scientifically prove the effectiveness of their product and protect consumer against false health benefits labeling.

Val de Vire Bioactives works directly with the Val de Vire cider house and is exclusively dedicated to the valorization of cider apple. Specialist of the “apple cracking,” the company extracts a range of natural ingredients from this raw material, aimed at the cosmetic, nutraceutical and food sectors. These high-tech active ingredients benefit from all the health and beauty virtues of the Normandy cider apple. Val de Vire is highlighting Pomactiv® Shape, a patented formula containing three apple active ingredients able to delay or inhibit glucose intestinal absorption and to regulate carbohydrate metabolism.

Vitagora, Food and Health Industry cluster, specializes in the development of food products presenting benefits adapted to the specific taste and health needs and expectations of the consumer. Vitagora Taste-Nutrition-Health is the only food industry cluster to underline the importance of Taste and the Sensory in food products and to study the functional interactions between taste qualities and nutritional qualities in food.

For more information, please contact:

UBIFRANCE
Serge Hanoca
Senior Trade Advisor
Tel: (312) 327-5249
E-mail: serge.hanoca@ubifrance.fr

 Or:

 FRENCH TECHNOLOGY PRESS OFFICE
205 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3740
Chicago, IL 60601
Fax: (312) 327-5261
E-mail: contact.ftpo@ubifrance.fr 

SOMMET DE L’ELEVAGE LIVESTOCK TRADE SHOW: THIS 18^th edition FEATURES RENEWABLE ENERGY PAVILION AND BUSINESS FOCUS

Chicago, May 8, 2009 (word count: 624) 

The leading business meeting for French and European livestock breeders, the Sommet de l’Elevage 2009 trade show (Breeder’s Summit 2009) will be held from October 7 to 9, in Clermont-Ferrand, France, in the heart of the Massif Central region, Europe’s largest cattle meat production region. This 18th edition, to take place over three weekdays (Wednesday to Friday) is intent on focusing on business. This represents a strategic choice for this premier European breeding professionals’ get-together. In all, over 1,800 animals, 1,150 exhibitors and 75,000 visitors (including 2,000 foreign visitors) are expected in Clermont-Ferrand this October.

For more information, please contact:  

SOMMET DE L’ELEVAGE
Benoît Delaloy
International Manager
Cité Régionale de l’Agriculture
9 allée Pierre de Fermat
63170 Aubière
France
Tel.: +33 (0)4 73 28 95 13
E-mail: bdelaloy@sommet-elevage.fr 
Web: www.sommet-elevage.fr

or:

 FRENCH TECHNOLOGY PRESS OFFICE
205 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3740
Chicago, IL 60601
Fax: (312) 327-5261
E-mail: contact.ftpo@ubifrance.fr

Chicago, October 13, 2008 (word count: 471)

The world’s population is fast approaching 8 billion people. Food prices are rising, and countries are struggling to equally distribute resources. These are the critical issues facing the agrifood industry today. France is world-renowned for its expertise in all things food, and its activity, specifically in the international agrifood industry, is equally reputable.

The agrifood industry includes not only the manufacture of agricultural equipment, production of consumables (such as fertilizers, seed and animal feed), but also the preparation and processing of both plant and animal products (including their storage, packaging, processing, preservation and distribution) and the utilization, processing and recycling of by-products and waste.

French expertise in food production is acknowledged and prized by foreign producers. Those established in France gain a distinct competitive advantage from their location. In particular, they can rely on a well-trained, adaptable, and highly productive workforce. The sector’s turnover in France is around EUR 214 billion (292 billion USD), of which EUR 154 million (210 million USD) relates to food processing. Income is growing between 5% and 7% annually. Second in the world after the United States, the sector employs 600,000 agricultural workers and 415,000 food industry employees. Exports valued at EUR 45.1 million (61.6 million USD), including EUR 33.4 million (45.6 million USD) relating solely to processed products, contribute to the French agrifood sector’s overall trade surplus (EUR 9.1 million [12.4 million USD] in 2007).

Philippe Favre, president of the Invest in France Agency, says, “Because agrifood and gastronomy have such a long and rich tradition here, France is the premier European agricultural producer and remains a recognized benchmark for world agriculture.”

In addition to French national groups such as Danone, Lactalis, Bongrain, LVMH and Pernod Ricard, leading foreign firms such as Nestlé, Unilever, Coca-Cola, Heineken, General Mills and Haribo, among many others, have chosen France as their production and logistics platform for the European market, and the base for their global expansion. More recently, they have been joined by Cinquième Saison (salad and fresh products), a subsidiary of the Icelandic group Bakkavör, Danisco, with an R&D center specializing in fermentation products, Sakata Seeds (seed), Moy Park (poultry-based intermediate products), Ebly /Masterfoods (cereals) and McCormick (condiments).

The French agrifood industry is an environment that favors innovation transfer. It has 10,000 highly skilled engineers, researchers and technicians, and an R&D budget exceeding EUR 400 million (550 million USD). Interface between private businesses and public or private research bodies is provided by 15 internationally oriented competitiveness clusters:

Agrimip Innovation at Toulouse, Filière Equine at Mondeville, Industries et Agroresources, at Laon, Nutrition, Santé, Longévité, at Lille, Valorial (foodstuff innovation) at Rennes, Pôle Filière Produits Aquatiques at Boulogne sur Mer, Cereals Valley at Chappes, Innovation Fruits et Légumes at Avignon, Vitagora (condiments) at Dijon, Qualitropic in Réunion,Végépolys (seed, arboriculture/horticulture) at Angers, Prod’innov (manufacturing processes, nutraceuticals) at Bordeaux, Q@li-mediterrannée (sustainable agri-food systems and Mediterranean quality of life) at Montpellier, Innoviandes at Clermont-Ferrand, Parfums, Arômes, Senteurs, Saveurs (PASS) at Grasse.

Invest in France Agency (IFA) promotes and facilitates international investment in France. The IFA network operates worldwide. IFA works in partnership with regional development agencies to offer international investors business opportunities and customized services all over France. For more information, please visit www.investinfrance.org.

For more information, please contact:

INVEST IN FRANCE NORTH AMERICA
Amanda Hilson
810 Seventh Ave.
New York, NY 10019
Tel: (212) 757-9340
Fax: (212) 757-1568
E-mail: amanda.hilson@investinfrance.orgWeb: www.investinfrance.org/northamerica

or:

FRENCH TECHNOLOGY PRESS OFFICE
205 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3740
Chicago, IL 60601
Fax: (312) 327-5261
E-mail: contact.ftpo@ubifrance.fr