Participants Profiles

Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO’s goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With over 194 member states, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide. To contributing to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, FAO is working on 5 key priorities:

1) Help eliminate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition – 2) Make agriculture, forestry and fisheries more productive and sustainable – 3) Reduce rural poverty – 4) Enable inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems – 5) Increase the resilience of livelihoods to threats and crises

Embassy of the Kingdom of The Netherlands

As the world rapidly urbanizes, there is an increasing pressure on rural areas to supply sustainable and healthy food. Food security is crucial and can boost economic performance and social wellbeing. This requires production methods that take into account issues like animal welfare, food safety, waste disposal and habitation. It also requires that governance and education are in order to create a fair society. The Netherlands has sustainable answers to these challenges.

Moreover, the Netherlands is the world’s second-largest exporter of agrifood products. For decades, Dutch agriculture stayed ahead of its competitors thanks to continuous improvements in its agricultural production chains. Greece is of interest to the Netherlands because of Greece’s growing agrifood sector. For decades the Netherlands Embassy in Greece has been investing resources in sharing best practices through bilateral relations at government, academic and business level. More specific, the Embassy has facilitated regularly meetings by Dutch agri-experts from Wageningen University Research to foster dialogue and education among others in the so-called Agrifood Masterclasses for young-in-mind entrepreneurs. Our latest sector study on the potential of greenhouses in Greece contributes to the increase of primary production. The Netherlands wants to team up with European partners like Greece. Therefore, exchanging best practices between the Netherlands and Greece, especially in the agrifood sector at a family business level, is of mutual benefit.

Piraeus Bank

Piraeus Bank leads a Group of companies, covering all the operations and activities of the financial sector in Greece, providing a wide range of products and services to 5.2 mn customers.

Piraeus Bank ranks 1st in business financing with a market share of 33% and balance of €33 bn. Moreover, Piraeus Bank has a significant presence in Agricultural Banking by developing actions and taking initiatives that support and modernize the agri-food sector. With innovative products and services, the Bank offers specialized solutions for the integrated service of farmers, agricultural enterprises and cooperatives, such as the Contract Farming, and supports the value chain of agricultural production, processing, trading and exports.

INTERAMERICAN: 50 years of leadership

In early 2019, INTERAMERICAN celebrated 50 years of leading, creative presence in the Greek insurance market. The Company’s mission is to help people live safer, longer, better lives. INTERAMERICAN is active in every insurance sector – Life, Health, Non-Life and Assistance – offering products and services that stand out for their innovative character.

INTERAMERICAN’s robust financial figures record steadily recurrent profitability, which totaled €22 million before taxes in 2018, and a high solvency ratio over and above requirements. Currently, the company serves over 1 million customers, both private citizens and enterprises.

INTERAMERICAN was the company that introduced direct insurance in Greece with “Anytime”, changing the market landscape. In the Health sector, INTERAMERICAN has expanded the concept of insurance with “bewell”, a new, pioneering health system that offers absolutely tailor-made insurance options and health services. It is the only insurance company in Greece with privately-owned, state-of-the-art infrastructure for Health services (ATHINAIKI MEDICLINIC, MEDIFIRST Multi-clinics) and Assistance (Road Assistance vehicles, ambulances, etc.).

With a customer-driven vision as its absolute priority, INTERAMERICAN paid out over €3 billion euros in claims and payments during the last decade. The company’s payouts in 2018 reached €237.3 million for 418,056 cases, while it responded to 479,856 incidents with its Emergency Medical and Road Assistance services.

INTERAMERICAN is part of the ACHMEA Group, a top European cooperative group with 208 years of experience and a leader in the provision of Health insurance services in Europe.

Hellenic National Interbranch Meat Organization (EDOK)

The Hellenic National Interbranch Meat Organization (EDOK) established in 2017, being the first of its kind in Greece. EDOK is formed by professional branches covering the production, processing and distribution of quality products in the framework of meat.

EDOK is the voice of Greeces’ meat sector, recognized by the Hellenic Ministry of Rural Development and Food, and is present to the biggest European organizations such as the French Interbranch Meat Association (INTERBEV) and the European Livestock and Meat Trade Union (UECBV).

Serres Chamber of Commerce

Serres Chamber of Commerce is supporting entrepreneurship and protecting the interests of local businesses being members to the organization. Serres Chamber mediates between businesses and the state authorities about promoting business interests and consulting for right policies.

It also brings forward the problems of various business sectors and takes care for an efficient resolvement.

Kyathos Winery

Kyathos winery is located in the historical village of Emmanouil Papas of the Prefecture of Serres in northern Greece. The activity of the winery begins in 2006 in small facilities. Since 2009, it has been transferred to privately owned 1500 square meters of land on an area of ​​4 acres. The name of the winery comes from the name of an ancient wooden pot, the cup which was a large ladle, and served as a pot of pumping wine from the jars. The winery is equipped with the most sophisticated means of winemaking such as a drill, pneumatic press, stainless fermentation and stabilization tanks with a controlled cooling system, oak barrels for the aging of red wines. It also has an automatic bottling and tagging system. The grapes come from 200 acres of vineyards and the white, red and rosé wine in bottles of 0,750, 0,375 and 0,187lit as well as in 5 and 10lit bags are found throughout Greece and are exported to Germany and China.

IFCO Systems

IFCO’s vision is to achieve and maintain global market leadership and profitability in all of our businesses without sacrificing or compromising our moral responsibility toward all the people with whom we deal and to the ecological system from which we draw our resources.

Our RPC solutions are state-of-the-art and are designed to provide optimal environmental protection. IFCO’s mission is to take into account social and environmental considerations in the process of constantly improving our solutions so that they provide the most cost-efficient and environmentally friendly ways to support our clients.

Ismaros Dairy Products (I. Doukidis & Sons Co.)

The Doukidis Family tradition in cheese-making stretches back to 1956.The recipe for high quality dairy products, which are unique in taste, remains unchanged since then respecting the traditions and values inherited.

Certified in our state-of-the-art laboratories, our pure products are made exclusively from pasteurized Greek milk, sourced from free-range herds that graze the foot of historic Mount Ismarus and Rhodopes sierra. Sourcing milk from local farmers, allows “I. Doukidis & Sons” to ensure its value propositions, support the regional milk-producing community and continue the ancient livestock tradition of Thrace.

Our products have been sold for decades in the biggest supermarket chains in Greece and exported in countries such as France, Germany and others. Quality and hygiene are factors, that have established  “I.  Doukidis & Sons” as leaders in the Greek dairy market. We are continuously striving for the best result possible in the production sectors we are involved with (dairy and cattle feeds) and comply with international and European food regulations and standards.

TOEB TAVROPOS KARDITSAS

The TOEB TAVROPOS KARDITSAS is a local organization for land reclamation, which is a legal entity under private law. Control and supervision of the Tavropou TOEB has the Ministry of Rural Development and Food. The Agency aims at improving land farms, which are located within the area of jurisdiction. The Agency’s jurisdiction includes the Tavropos irrigation project, serving with surface irrigation and free demand 12,000 ha, in a 16,000 ha-perimeter area around the city of Karditsa. The irrigation areas located in the jurisdiction of TOEB Tavropou irrigated exclusively by the lake of Plastira. The network is a network of gravity, one of the largest in the Europe and consists of open concrete canals of 887 km to bring, transport and distribute of irrigation water to the agricultural fields. The water supply is done by the hydro power plant Plastiras (130MW) and the regulation of providers of the reservoir of 600,000m³, which is located at an elevation of +188.10m. The project was launched in stages since 1965 and was completed in 1973. The TOEB TAVROPOS is also responsible for the drainage of the excess water and for the machinery transportation and accessibility to the agricultural fields. For these reasons the TOEB TAVROPOS network also consists of a network of drainage ditches with total length of 824km and a road network (alongside the irrigation and drainage network) of 851km.

Appropriate number of personnel, tractors and machinery are used for the maintenance of the irrigation, drainage ditches and road networks. The governance of the TOEB TAVROPOS is doing from 7 members council elected from a general committee of 85 representative members elected every 4 years in the 17 local communities. President of the TOEB TAVROPOS is Mr Markinos Athanasios.

ILIOZYMO Frozen Dough Products

Company was founded by Konstantinos Zygogiannis in 2004 as a transformation of an older family-owned cheese dairy company (1991) specialized in the production of feta cheese and gruyere from the mountainous Agraph plateau. Since 2010 Iliozymo is been located and operating in modern facilities on the outskirts of the city of Karditsa. It is active in the production and marketing of frozen dough products (traditional pies, puddings, croissants, donuts, pizza etc) which the raw materials are of Dutch Gouda cheese, feta cheese, sausages, spinach IQF, flour and margarine. The company supplies bakeries, canteens, catering stores and public organizations.

Iliozymo employs 10 permanent staff and has a turnover of 1 mio. Euros per annum, while its’ current distribution network includes the 5 regional units of Thessaly (est. 800 thousands inhabitants) and the 5 regional units of the wider area of Sterea Hellas (est. 600 thousands inhabitants). In its strategy is the expansion of the distribution network all-over Greece and in specific markets abroad.

Markinos’ Farm

The agricultural family facility Markinos’ Farm is in Thessaly-Greece, located at Myrina in Karditsa Municipality. In an area of 170 hectares are cultivated mainly cotton and corn and in a smaller scale grains, alfalfa and legumes such as beans for feeding animals. Markinos’ farm key advantage is the high degree of mechanization and automation and the extensive level of adoption Precision Agriculture methods. First ever in Greece in 2001, Markinos’ farm applied Precision Agriculture (yield mapping) in a cotton field with the support of the Laboratory of Agricultural Mechanization of the University of Thessaly.

Its constant focus on the agrotechnology, brought the farm featuring among the 4 European Union’s pilot farms of the “FutureFarm” framework program. Farm is under the leadership of Mr. Markinos Athanasios, Municipality of Karditsa City Councillor and President of “TOEB TAVROPOS” (Organization of Land Irrigation).

Directorate of Rural Economy and Veterinary, Regional Unit of Serres

The Agricultural and Veterinary Directorate of Serres primary role is the development and quality improvement of the sectors of plant, livestock and fishery production, by taking all necessary measures for the modernization and restructuring of the farms, the sustainable development, the protection of public health and farmers information through implementing National and E.C. policies.

 

Daskalopoulos Bio Juices

Our company is about producing juices made of organically cultivated pomegranates, prickly pears, aronia and sea-buckthorn berries. We are investing in cutting edge technology and operate under contemporary business principles, in order to bring the best possible product to the market.

Pomegranate is a high quality product, full of antioxidants and beneficial fibers. In addition prickly pears, aronia and sea-buckthorn berries provide mix of nutrients not easily found in other food sources.

 

 

Akeso – Spartan Agroland

The power of nature shapes the biological and psychological state of man and directly affects his health. This force we are trying to gather and offer in order to improve the lives of modern people. Akeso was created in 2011 in Sparta, Laconia. Akeso was one of Asclepius’ daughters and goddess of healing. Its name comes from the verb “akeome” which means heal. It was our love for the land, our belief in the creation of safer products based on Hippocratic ideas and the power of nature that propelled us to found the company.

In our effort to remove from our daily lives any chemicals harmful to our skin, we began the production of our first soap bar from our own Laconia olive oil, initially without fragrance in small batches. The beginning was already done. The sequel is difficult and demanding but also very creative. The feedback from our partners was positive and very encouraging so we decided to expand our products and incorporate a new line of facial care. The response, in the beginning, was limited, but with great effort, love and meraki, we built a trusting relationship with people interested in our products, and today we produce 6,000 soaps a day at our certified facilities.

We are fortunate and blessed to live in this place. Starring our own Laconic organic extra virgin olive oil, beeswax, propolis from our own bees, and the aromatic herbs of the Greek flora we collect from our herbal garden, we have created products that offer a carefree experience.  Our vision is to reconstitute traditional soap and its benefits in daily care as well as redefine its relationship with natural cosmetics.

Geo Routes Institute

The nonprofit & nongovernmental organization Geo Routes Institute is the official organizer of the Balkans & Black Sea Cooperation Forum, the AgriBusiness Forum, AgriFood Traction Tours and Geo Routes/Aegean Routes Cultural Heritage Journeys in Greece, held under the auspices of the Hellenic National Commission for UNESCO. Geo Routes initiatives fostering advancing partnerships, knowledge, cooperation and economic relations for the benefit of the society, the culture and the environment.