FIRST SEMINAR ON ECOLOGICAL AGRICULTURE OPENS IN ZAGREB

ZAGREB, Nov 16 (Hina) - Croatia has ideal conditions for ecological food production and it must use this advantage and open the door to ecological agriculture as reliable support for sustainable development and protection of natural resources, it was said at the first Croatian seminar on ecological agriculture, "Croatia's Path Into Ecological Agriculture", which is being held in Zagreb from November 15 to 17. Tourism Minister Pave Zupan Ruskovic said Croatia should present itself as a country with healthy food and ecological agriculture. Also important, along with ecological food production, is ecological tourism, which can become the most sustainable form of tourism, Zupan Ruskovic said. Eco-tourism, as a modern travel phenomenon, has generally been promoted as the quickest-developing segment of the world travel industry, increasing at the annual rate of 30 percent in the past five years, it was said at the seminar. Experts believe that ecological agriculture has the potential to become a factor of Croatia's economic recovery and stability. The first Croatian seminar on ecological agriculture was organised by the "Mothers for the Natural Law" association and is held under the auspices of the Tourism Ministry. (hina) rml