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Deadlines have been extended to 30 September for payment of registration fees because we are now printing the programme and abstracts in house.

For any information on the scientific programme contact wocmap@up.ac.za

For any other information on registration, visas, accommodation, tours, etc contact lara@thebeconferences.co.za

In a meeting of the Secretariat of the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) in Paris, nine international organizations decided to establish an international non-governmental body entitled: International Council for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (ICMAP) [www.icmap.org] with the general objective of promoting international understanding and cooperation between national and international organizations on the role of medicinal and aromatic plants in science, medicine and industry, and to improve the exchange of information between them.

One of the functions of ICMAP is to arrange a world conference on medicinal and aromatic plants [WOCMAP] every five years. The first was in Europe [Maastricht, Netherlands 1992], the second in South America [Mendoza, Argentina 1997], and the third was held in Asia [Chiang Mai, Thailand, 2003]. Due to the geopolitical situation the participation was remarkably lower than at previous WOCMAP conferences, nevertheless more than 600 attendants were present. The proceedings of WOCMAP III were published in six volumes of Acta Horticulturae of the International Society for Horticultural Science.

ICMAP Bureau has invited the Leader of the Phytomedicine Programme at the University of Pretoria to organize WOCMAP IV in South Africa in 2008. We expect in the order of 1200 delegates for WOCMAP IV.

The organizing committee and sponsors warmly invite you to attend WOCMAP IV. The conference will be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) in Cape Town from 9-14 November 2008. The CTICC opened in 2003 and is ideally located in the heart of the panoramic city of Cape Town and within walking distance of an abundance of superb accommodation and many tourist attractions, such as the world-renowned Victoria & Alfred Waterfront (www.capetownconvention.com)

PLENARY SPEAKERS WHO HAVE ACCEPTED INVITATIONS TO PARTICIPATE


Presenter

Country

Topic

Rudi Bauer

Austria

Non western herbal medicines

Mark Blumenthal

USA

Research and regulatory trends in the north American herbal marketplace

Tony Cunningham

Australia

Conservation, sustainable use, trade and industry

Chlodwig Franz

Austria

Using plants in animal productivity

Ameenah Gurib-Fakim

Mauritius

An African Herbal Pharmacopoeia could underpin the medicinal plant industry on the continent

Kurt Hostettman

Switzerland

New analytical techniques for the identification of plant constituents and for the quality assessment of herbal medicines

Peter Houghton

United Kingdom

Plants as sources of human health products

Hannes van Staden

South Africa

Germination, tissue culture and cultivation of plants

Rob Verpoorte

Netherlands

Systems Biology

Alvaro Viljoen

South Africa

South Africa’s medicinal and aromatic flora - a treasure chest of opportunities for science and industry

Arnold Vlietinck

Belgium

Development in regulatory matters of herbal medicines

Charles Wambebe

Nigeria

Clinical trials of herbal medicines

PROGRAMME

THEMES AND LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE/SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROGRAMME.

Theme 1: Biodiversity prospecting and ethnopharmacology.

Prof. Neil Crouch, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Durban

Theme 2: Conservation, cultivation breeding genetics and sustainable use.

Prof. Hannes van Staden, Leader Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Theme 3: Perspectives in natural products chemistry.

Prof. Berhanu Abegaz, Chemistry, University of Botswana.

Theme 4: Targeted screening approaches for drugs and cosmetics.

Prof. Marion Meyer, Botany, University of Pretoria.

Theme 5: Quality, efficacy and safety of phytomedicines and phytocosmetics.

Prof. Alvaro Viljoen . Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tshwane Univ. of Technology.

Theme 6: Developments in industrial processing of MAPs.

Mr Ulrich Feiter, Managing Director Parceval, Wellington.

Theme 7: The economics and marketing of medicinal and aromatic plants.

Mr Myles Mander, Director Futureworks, Durban.

Theme 8: New developments in laws and regulations for the use of MAPs. Trade and industry perspective.

Mr Thomas Brendler, Managing Director Plantaphile, Berlin

Theme 9: Traditional medicine and health systems for new and old diseases.

Prof. Ben-Erik van Wyk, Botany, University of Johannesburg.

Theme 10: Nutraceuticals.

Prof. Ameenah Gurib Fakim, Pro-Vice Chancellor, University of Mauritius.

Theme 11: Veterinary medicine.

Prof. Kobus Eloff, Phytomedicine Programme, University of Pretoria.

Theme 12: Diverse aspects not accommodated in other themes.

Prof Anthony Afolayan, Botany, University of Fort Hare.

 

Why you should consider attending?

  • Leading scientists in the world in the area of MAPs have accepted invitations to serve on the Scientific Advisory Committee and to present plenary lectures that focus on developments in different areas over the past five years and to discuss possible future developments and fruitful areas for research.
  • All abstracts will be published in a special issue of South African Journal of Botany and will be listed in ISI databases.
  • The International Society for Horticultural Science will publish scientifically reviewed manuscripts in Acta Horticultureae
  • Many different aspects of medicinal and aromatic plants will be discussed with delegates from all continents. We expect in the order of 1200 delegates.
  • There will be a MAP trade fair and special exhibitions running alongside the conference. These will include displays of African herbal products, ingredients and publications and stands of international companies and organisations offering technical and financial help to the MAP sector
  • Sir Francis Drake called Cape Town “the fairest cape in the whole circumference of the earth” due to its natural beauty.
  • Carl Linnaeus called it heaven on earth due to the astounding floral diversity. We plan to hold an early evening picnic at the world famous Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden on the slopes of Table Mountain.
  • Cape Town has recently been voted as one of the prime tourist destinations in the world and previously as Best City in Africa and the Middle East, Favorite Foreign City, Best City to Eat Out and One of the World’s Top 8 Creative Cities.
  • The climate in November is excellent with temperatures ranging from 15-27 degrees celcius and 11 hours of sunshine per day.
  • There will be a very interesting accompanying person’s programme.
  • There will be exciting pre and post congress excursions to different places in South Africa – a world in one country.