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THE ROYAL ACADEMY FOR OVERSEAS SCIENCES&#160;and&#160;THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES of&#160;THE ROYAL ACADEMIES FOR SCIENCE AND THE ARTS OF BELGIUM&#160;organize this international conferenceAim of&#160;the conferenceNutrition is a universal human right. Population growth and a higher demand for food, together with a changing nutrition pattern, will put the environment, at global level, under a growing pressure in the coming decennia. This pressure will be very strong on regions with a high biodiversity due to the ever growing demand on arable land and an increasing demand for animal protein, which will negatively influence the global ecosystem, the global climate and the biodiversity. The aim of the conference is to highlight a number of topics dealing with nutrition, the demand for food and food production &#8211; past and future.This conference will bring together scientists from the North and the South, with a diverse background: lawyers, sociologists, economists, demographers, bioengineers, agricultural experts, health experts, fieldworkers, &#8230; They will address the following major topics:nutrition as a universal rightagricultural economythe role of womenremote sensing and climate changesoil utilizationconservation and use of wild-life resourcesmeat productionfish farmingpre- and post-harvest lossesmalnutritionThe focus will be on a high biodiversity region, the Congo Basin (not restricted to the tropical rainforest region).For each of the major topics, a keynote speaker has been invited. Besides, a poster session will be organized. Authors of posters will have the possibility to explain in three minutes, during the plenary session, the essential results of their work. This procedure will allow a vivid and focused exchange of ideas during breaks and poster sessions.Scientific CommitteeBaeteman Cecile, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences and Royal Academy for Overseas SciencesGoyens Philippe, Universit&#233; Libre de Bruxelles and Royal Academy for Overseas SciencesRammeloo Jan, National Committee for Biological Sciences and Royal Academy for Overseas SciencesSwinne Danielle, Royal Academy for Overseas SciencesSymoens Jean-Jacques, Royal Academy for Overseas Sciences and National Committee for Biological SciencesVan de Vijver Bart, National Botanic Garden of Belgium, National Committee for Biological Sciences and Royal Academy for Overseas SciencesVan Ranst Eric, Universiteit Gent and Royal Academy for Overseas SciencesVerhasselt Yola, Royal Academy for Overseas SciencesOrganizing CommitteeBaeteman Cecile, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences and Royal Academy for Overseas SciencesDe Boeck Filip, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and Royal Academy for Overseas SciencesErpicum Michel, Universit&#233; de Li&#232;ge and Royal Academy for Overseas SciencesGoyens Philippe, Universit&#233; Libre de Bruxelles and Royal Academy for Overseas SciencesRammeloo Jan, National Committee for Biological Sciences and Royal Academy for Overseas SciencesVan de Vijver Bart, National Botanic Garden of Belgium, National Committee for Biological Sciences and Royal Academy for Overseas SciencesVan Ranst Eric, Universiteit Gent and Royal Academy for Overseas SciencesWilmet Mich&#232;le, Universit&#233; Libre de Bruxelles and Royal Academy for Overseas SciencesProgramme30 September, 2013Welcome AddressDirk Huyge, President of the Royal Academy for Overseas Sciences (RAOS)Setting the SceneJan Rammeloo, President of the Environment and Development Commission (RAOS)&#160;President of the National Committee for Biological SciencesHUMAN ASPECTSNutrition, a Universal Human Right. Possible Conflicts with International Conventions. A lawyer&#8217;s ViewSpeaker to be confirmedDemographic Data from Conflict-affected Regions of the Congo Basin: Potential from the AfriPop and CEDAT DatabasesCatherine Linard, post-doctoral fellow, Universit&#233; Libre de BruxellesDebarati Guha-Sapir, professor Universit&#233; catholique de LouvainChiara Altare, research fellow, Universit&#233; catholique de LouvainRole of Women in Health and NutritionMarleen Temmerman, director Department Reproductive Health &#38; Research, WHOAGRICULTURAL ECONOMICSFood Security and Food Production Situation of the DRC Congo BasinLuc D&#8217;Haese, hon. professor Universiteit Gent &#38; Universiteit AntwerpenPHYSICAL ASPECTSSoil Resources in the Congo Basin: their Properties and Constraints for Food ProductionMichel Ngongo Luhembwe, professor Universit&#233; de LubumbashiRemote Sensing as a Tool for Monitoring Food Production in an Era of Climate ChangeEls Ducheyne, scientific director of Avia-GIS1 October, 2013BIOLOGICAL ASPECTSConservation and Use of Wildlife-based ResourcesSpeaker to be confirmedAGRICULTURAL PRACTICESProduction of Animal Protein in the Congo Basin, a Challenge for the Future of People and WildlifePascal Leroy, professor Universit&#233; de Li&#232;geFish Farming in the Congo Basin: Past, Present and FutureJean-Claude Micha, hon. professor Facult&#233; Universitaire Notre-Dame de la Paix, NamurPre- and Post-Harvest Losses in the Congo Basin. The Dark Side of Biodiversity?Herwig Leirs, professor Universiteit AntwerpenBiotech Plants in Developing CountriesNathalie Verbruggen, professor Universit&#233; Libre de BruxellesMALNUTRITIONNutritional Status of the Populations of the Congo Basin&#160;Philippe Donnen, Professor Universit&#233; Libre de BruxellesJean-Lambert Paluku Bahwere, Ecole de Sant&#233; publique (ULB), Consultant Valid Intl