Welcome from Prof Colin Brown, Chair, SCI BioResources Technical Interest Group:

On behalf of the BioResources Group Committee I would like to welcome you to our web pages. Our remit spans areas of plant, crop and environmental science covering all aspects of crop production, crop protection and crop utilisation. This reflects progress in the whole industrial and academic arena of what was once ‘agrochemicals’ to embrace not only the biotechnologies of crop protection and improvement, but also, driven by significant political and popular momentum, the development of crops as feedstocks for biofuels and as a resource for natural products from fibres to pharmaceuticals.

None of this is without issues, and world agriculture continues to face significant change and challenges. There is a clear need to share knowledge across networks founded on scientific rigour. BioResources Committee members are involved in many other SCI Groups and external organisations which makes for a powerful network to develop new contacts and to stage topical events with a distinctive perspective, for real impact. Our 'stakeholders' include those in the science-based agricultural community, the food chain industries, players involved in the ‘Bio-economy’, the education sector and the media, and we also welcome interaction with policy formers and regulators, and the public at large.

Full details of the BioResources Group’s programme of conferences and meetings for the coming year can be found in our regularly updated Calendar of Events.

Reviews of these events and speakers’ presentations are available to BioResources Group members in our on-line Library. The Group works closely with SCI's noted peer-reviewed scientific journals, particularly Pest Management Science and Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining (Biofpr).

If you wish to know more about the Group or offer suggestions for new activities, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are always keen to welcome enthusiastic new Members, so if you would like to join the BioResources Committee, contact SCI’s Communications Team E: communications@soci.org, T: +44(0) 20 7598 1564, F: +44 (0)20 7598 1545.

SCI is a forward-looking interdisciplinary organisation connecting industry and academia at all levels throughout the world. I encourage you to introduce your colleagues and acquaintances to the Society, and contact membership@soci.org for details on how to join.