Foreword

Over the course of many years numerous international mycotoxin conferences have been held, often as recurring initiatives under the auspices of scientific networks, such as the International Society for Mycotoxicology, the Society for Mycotoxin Research, and the World Mycotoxin Forum. The year 2014 was no different in this respect with major conferences in Beijing in May, Gottingen in June and Vienna in November. Each of these gatherings mobilised hundreds of people mainly representing academia and research agencies, small and medium enterprises, and larger industries as well as international organisations. The various meetings were held not only to present and discuss new discoveries and facts, but also to provide context and facilitate effective communication platforms to exchange ideas and build strategic alliances for joint research. However, scientific progress and impressive success stories have only to a limited extent been able to reduce the ongoing and significant annual crop losses due to contamination with mycotoxins.