8th Panhellenic Congress on the Development of Greek Agriculture

he Panhellenic Congress on the Development of Greek Agriculture of GAIA EPICHEIREIN, which took place on Friday July 1st, was concluded with great success, focusing on “The CAP Strategic Plan: Priorities and Prerequisites for the Green and Digital Transition of the Food System”.

Over 1,400 online registered delegates watched prominent speakers from Greece and the EU addressing critical issues related to the implementation of the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), while analyzing the role of digitization and innovation in the next day for the primary sector.

Honorary speaker of the Congress was Dora Bakoyannis, Member of Parliament for Chania and Chairperson for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, while opening addresses were made by Christiane Lambert, President of the Committee of Professional Agricultural Organizations of the EU (COPA), Apostolos Tzitzikostas, President of the European Committee of the Regions and of the Union of Regions of Greece (ENPE) and Regional Governor of Central Macedonia, Olympia Teligioridou, Member of Parliament for Kastoria and Deputy Head of the Department for Rural Development and Food for the party of SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance, Odysseas Konstantinopoulos, Vice-President of the Hellenic Parliament and Member of Parliament for Arcadia with the party PASOK-Kinima Allagis, and Alexandros Kontos, Director General of Cooperative Union of the Tobacco Growers of Greece (SEKE) and President of Cooperative Insurance.

At the official opening of the Congress, Mr. Christodoulos Antoniadis, President of GAIA EPICHEIREIN, stated: “Since 2014, GAIA EPICHEIREIN’s Congress has been continuously present in informing the agricultural world and all interested parties in relation to the most recent developments that concern agricultural policy in Greece and the European Union”.

Honorary speaker, Ms. Bakoyannis praised the contribution of GAIA EPICHEIREIN, through the annual Congresses held over the last eight years, to the systematic information of the country’s farmers about the developments in relation to the CAP, while emphasizing that the CAP has always been a valuable toolkit that is in our hands to exploit, every time a new programming period opens before us.

The common conclusion of all participants was that for yet another year, the Panhellenic Congress for the Development of Greek Agriculture was an essential tool for informing all interested parties in relation to European and national developments in the primary sector.

At the same time, on the eve of the Conference, on June 30, the Panhellenic Survey for the Agricultural Sector carried out by GAIA EPICHEIREIN in collaboration with Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Kapa Research Company was presented, focusing on the level of readiness and awareness of farmers in relation to the green and digital transition. More than 1,100 delegates watched the event online.