ICV-8: Eighth International Conference on Vetiver

The Eighth International Conference on Vetiver (ICV-8) will be held in Chennai, India, from 12 to 14 May 2027. It brings together researchers, farmers, engineers, policymakers and practitioners from around the world, and it is where the King of Thailand Vetiver Awards and the TVNI Vetiver Awards will be presented.

General Information  |  King of Thailand Vetiver Awards  |  TVNI Vetiver Awards  |  Key Dates

General Information

ICV-8 is hosted by the India Vetiver Foundation (IVF), founded in December 2023 to advance vetiver-based solutions across India through farmer outreach, research partnerships and applications in erosion control, carbon sequestration and bioenergy. The conference theme is Vetiver Systems: Science, Practice and Pathways to Scale.

India last hosted the international conference in 2011, when ICV-5 was held in Lucknow. ICV-7 took place in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2023. IVF Vice President P.N. Subramanian is leading preparations for ICV-8, including a series of regional vetiver conferences across India as lead-up events.

2027 has special significance for the vetiver community. It marks the centenary of the birth of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great of Thailand, whose Royal Initiative on vetiver launched Thailand’s national program and underpinned the international spread of the Vetiver System. It is also the sixth-cycle (72nd) birthday anniversary of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Patron of The Vetiver Network International. ICV-8 will include a commemorative session honoring this legacy.

Details of the program, call for papers and registration will be announced by the organizers. Organizations and individuals interested in partnering with or sponsoring ICV-8 should contact the India Vetiver Foundation.

Go to the ICV-8 host’s website (India Vetiver Foundation) →
Papers from earlier conferences: Conference Papers

King of Thailand Vetiver Awards

At the opening ceremony of ICV-8, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Chairperson of the Chaipattana Foundation, will present six King of Thailand Vetiver Awards of US$2,500 each, including two funded by PTT Public Company Limited. The categories are:

1. Outstanding Vetiver Research: agricultural application; non-agricultural application
2. Outstanding Dissemination and Application of the Vetiver System: dissemination and technology transfer; application of the Vetiver System
3. Outstanding People Participation: on-farm applications and socio-economic impacts; disaster mitigation or environmental protection

Winners are invited to present their papers at the conference, with support for participation costs, international travel and accommodation during the conference.

How to apply: send the application form, an abstract (400–500 words) and the full paper (no more than 6,000 words or 15 pages, as a Word file) to [email protected]. 31 January 2027· Deadline. Scientists and vetiver practitioners from all countries may apply.

Download the announcement, award criteria, paper format and application form (PDF) →

TVNI Vetiver Awards

TVNI will also present its own awards at ICV-8. They have a single purpose: to generate documented, verifiable field evidence that makes the case for the Vetiver System to governments, donors, NGOs and the private sector, along with the human stories that persuade people to adopt it.

Vetiver Grass Technology Case Study Awards: three awards of US$1,000 each, one each for agriculture, bioengineering and phytoremediation. Priority goes to mature applications, at least three years old, where the full range of benefits can be seen and measured. Entries use a TVNI template covering location, design, age and condition, quantified results, costs and benefits, adoption by others, and lessons learned. Open to everyone, and self-nomination is expected. Honest reporting counts: a farmer’s estimate stated plainly scores better than false precision.
Download templates: Agriculture – template, instructions. Bioengineering – template, instructions. Phytoremediation – template, instructions.

GVF Field Evidence Award: US$750. This award asks for criticism, not success. It invites a rigorous, constructive field evaluation of TVNI’s Global Vetiver Farmer models and monitoring protocols, based on actually using them at a real site, with a specific fix proposed for every problem raised. See the Global Vetiver Farmer Program.

Exceptional Individual Contributions (certificate). Five awards honoring the lifetime contributions of Monty Yudelman, John Greenfield, Mark Dafforn, Nick Dolphin and Criss Juliard, each given to the strongest case study in the field matching the namesake’s own work.

Certificates of Recognition. Every submission that meets the minimum documentation standard receives one.

How to enter: for the case study template, email [email protected] with “Case Study Template” in the subject line. For the GVF Field Evidence Award, use the subject line “GVF Field Evidence Award”. Send completed entries with “TVNI Award Submission” in the subject line. Deadline: 1 April 2027. Winners will be notified by 1 May 2027 and will present their work at ICV-8.

Announcement: TVNI Newsletter NL2026-08