Asian Network of Organics Recyclers
Minutes of the Steering Committee Meeting
4.30 pm to 6.00 pm Wednesday 6 October 2004
Akita Prefectural University, Japan
In attendance were:
Chair: Dr. Mitsuo Chino: Japan Organics Recycling Association (JORA)
Vice Cha ir: Dr. Jianming Xu: College of Environmental and Resource Sciences,
Zhejiang University, China
Member: Mr. Gerry Gillespie: Department of Environment and Conservation NSWAustralia
Member: Dr. Kamaruddin Abdullah: Centre for Research and Engineering
Application in Tropical Agriculture, Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia
Member: Dr Jae-Chun Chung: Korean Organics Recycling Association, Korea.
Applicant for ANOR membership
Mr Luke Eginton: WasteKleen (Asia) Co LtdObservers
Dr. Werner Bidlingmaier: Organic Recovery and Biological Treatment (ORBIT).
Bauhaus University, Weimar, Germany
Dr. Harold Keener: Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological engineering,
Ohio State University, USA
Dr. Young-jun Kim: Catholic University of Korea, Division of Biotechnology
Dr. Takashi Muraoka: Centre of Ago-Industrial Productivity, university of Sao Paulo,
BrazilDr. Tessie Merestela: Department of Soil Science, College of Agriculture, Benquet
State University Philippines
Dr. Praphasri Chongpraditnun: Soil Scie nce Research Group, Agricultural Production
Science Research and Development Office, Department of Agriculture, Thailand
Mr. Yusuke Kuzuhara: Environment Policy Division, Ministers Secretariat, Ministryof Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries
Dr. Kenji Kanazawa, Deputy Director, Sustainable Agriculture Office in Crop
Production Division, Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries
Japanese Organic Recycling Association
Dr. Toshiaki Tadano
Mr. Yutaka Hirose
Mr. Atushi Kai
Mr. Toshifumi Ueda
Mr. Sadayuki Shimoda
Secretariat
Mr. Eiichi Takeshita
Mr. Yoshihiro Maruyama
Prior to meeting:Participants were introduced by Mr Maruyama, Secretariat of ANOR and the Agenda
for the meeting agreed to.

Dr. Toshiaki Tadano, Vice President of JORA, welcomed the observe rs and guests tothe meeting.
Dr Chino, Chair of the Steering Committee, also welcomed all present at the meetingand outlined the procedure for the meeting.
Agenda items
The revision of the rule to add private companies to the membership was approved by
the Steering Committee. There were no other alterations to the Rules.
Applications for membership were received from:
Napal Agricultural Development Society P. Ltd
Waste Kleen Asia Pte. Ltd
WasteBusters Trust Canterbury NZBlack and Grey Pty Ltd
Peat’s Soils and Garden Supplies
All five applications were approved for membership
The remainder of the meeting was opened for discussion on all remaining matters on
the agenda including:• Increase in membership from 10 organisations in 10 countries to 23
organisations in 13 countries.
• The collection of data from all member countries.
• Publication of 12 newsletters since December 2002.
Future ANOR activities:• Discussion on a proposal from Mr Gillespie, to investigate the transfer ofnutrients from one country to another and possible methods to address theflow of nutrient back to the country of origin.
• Other matters
Open Discussion
A representation from Zero Waste Australia (ZWA) to commence discussions on thenegative effects of nutrient transfer from one natio n to another was discussed at length.
Mr. Gillespie made the point that at this stage there were no specific plans for thetransfer of nutrients but Zero Waste Australia wished to have the discussion opened in
an international forum because it was a fundamental problem that went along withtrade in agricultural products. The health of soils in all countries needed to beaddressed at a fundamental level. It was clear that simply continuing to add chemicals
to soils would not resolve the issue and world trade was increasing and with it soil
degradation.
Contributions were made from a number of observers including Dr. Werner
Bidlingmaier who wished to impress upon the meeting the importance of this issue. It
is a major difficulty in Europe where composted product is still classified as a waste
and regulation makes it very difficult to transfer across borders.

Mr. Yusuke Kuzuhara from the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries wanted
to inform the meeting that the issue had many levels and should be approached withcaution.
Dr. Kenji Kanazawa also felt that the matter should be handled with care and anawareness of the cross-cultural implications.
Dr. Tessie Merestela of the Department of Soil Science, College of Agriculture,
Benquet State University Philippines, spoke of the cost of such a proposal, processing
transport etc, and wanted to ensure that such a proposal did not become anotherburden for local farmers.
Dr. Harold Keener of Ohio State University pointed out that with the cost of waste
disposal at current levels and rising, he felt that processing materials into a suitableform and transporting it by ship would be a cheaper option than landfill
Mr Gillespie made the point that the proposal was not necessarily talking abouttransporting compost, it was discussing transportation of nutrients. This can be donein many forms. As outlined in the proposal from Zero waste Australia, nutrient could
be transported without any form of bacterial or fungal properties. It could betransported as a pelletised stock feed or as a worm cast in solution, which had been
pasteurised prior to transportation. The important point at this time was to opendiscussion on the matter. This matter at some time in the future will reach crisis point
and it was better to discuss and prepare options beforehand rather than when the crisis
was upon us.
It was decided to ask ZWA to investigate the possibilities within Australia, to pursue
funding and political opportunities and to ask individual representatives to take thematter forward in their own countries.
The Executive of ANOR will discuss the matter through email and make any interim
decisions necessary to promote the matter. Any such decision can then be ratified at
the next formal meeting.
Mr Werner Bidlingmier of ORBIT the President of the European Compost Council
asked that the conversation on this subject be broadened to include their organisations
members throughout Europe as they are having the same difficulties in regard tonutrient transfer and product reuse.
Other BusinessDr. Kamaruddin Abdullah from the Centre for Research and Engineering Applicationin Tropical Agriculture, Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia, informed themeeting that the World Renewable Energy Regional Congress and Exhibition will beheld in Jakarta from the 17th to the 21 st of April 2005. The summit will be held inconjunction with the Asian – African Summit 2005.
All ANOR members and should be aware that the Call for Papers has been released.
For further information please contact Dr. Kamaruddin Abdullah: Centre for Researchand Engineering Application in Tropical Agriculture, Bogor Agricultural University,Indonesia. Email: kdin@bogog.wasantara.net.id
The meeting closed at 6.10 pm