President and CEO of the NILEAS Producer Group (founded in 2001 under his initiative), an agricultural cooperative that has started to implement an Integrated Environmental Management System.
NILEAS Producers Group (https://www.nileasoliveoil.gr), was established by 55 founding members (olive oil producers) from the wider region of west Messinia (South West Peloponnese Region, Greece). NILEAS’ purpose was to implement an Integrated Environmental Management System, being at the time the first organized group in Greece established for this purpose in olive tree cultivation. In the summer of 2003, the abovementioned system was certified to ISO 14001, and was in fact the first certification awarded to a European olive grove. Nowadays NILEAS consists of 25 coop members and 11 collaborating farmers, cultivating a total of 1630 km2 (~ 404 acres) of olive groves.
In order to achieve its goals NILEAS participates in research funding projects dealing with environmental policies, new technologies and olive tree cultivation. Indicatively: In 2010 NILEAS participated in the SAGE10 program (LIFE09 ENV / GR / 000302 SAGE 10) and in 2012 participated in the oLIVE CLIMA program (LIFE11 ENV / GR / 942 oLIVE-CLIMA) which in 2018 won the first prize in the category “Action for Climate” at a special ceremony held during the EU Green Week (Europe’s largest environmental event). Since 2017, NILEAS has been participating in the IOF2020 (internet of food and farm) program that has enabled NILEAS to ascertain the benefits of implementing internet technologies in order to achieve environmental and agricultural sustainability goals (increase efficiency, improve quality and reduce costs). Last but not least, on summer 2019 NILEAS launched the SUSTAIN OLIVE program in which it participates as a partner.
Before 2001, he was exclusively a farm manager and producer in the field of olive growing and viticulture.
Topic: Precision agriculture in olive growing from the perspective of the farmers