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Responsible for the actual scheduling and forecasting of the needs and transport of the country’s fertilizers to the Fertilizers Corporate Company ( SYNEL ). Responsible for integrated pest management and organic farming. Responsible for the promotion of investment programs with the utilization of renewable energy sources for the development of the dynamic field of greenhouse cultivations. Consultant and Inspector for the Agrocert certification for pest management cultivations in Greece. Science consultant of the European educational program for young professionals (NEΛΕ) in Messenia. Member of the committee for the reforming of the educational program of Kalamata TEI, (Technological Educational Institute). Coordinator of the National Guidelines for the integrated crop management in the greenhouse as well as watermelon cultivations, which were recently uploaded at the site of the Ministry of Hellenic of Rural Development and Food. Director of the Trifylia-based educational program of agriculturists from Cyprus, Mauritius, Poland, West Africa, and Albania, on horticultural plants and plant protection. Tutor and Lecturer of various OGEEKA “DIMITRA” institute educational programs, for agriculturists and farmers around Greece focusing on plant protection, crop fertilization, organic farming, integrated crop management etc.
Participants of various European programs focusing on cultivations of Trifylia area as well as on strategies that take advantage of the new technological advancements and the promotion of precision agriculture. Mr Paraskevopoulo’s impact on the Trifylia area has added high value to its development. Through innovations and initiatives, Mr Paraskevopoulos has created such conditions for the increase of the profit in the area and the improvement of the farmer’s economic status.
Dionysis Stamenitis was born in Giannitsa in 1968. He studied civil engineering in the Polytechnic School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki with postgraduate studies in “Environmental Policy, Education and Communication” in the Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resources of Democritus University of Thrace, specializing in the Energy Policy and Development.
Since 1995 he is a regular member of the Technical Chamber of Greece and since 1999 a civil engineer as a freelancer, specializing in Administration building Works and in Structural and Functional Rehabilitation of listed buildings. He was also a scientific committee member of the Engineering Seismology and Earthquake Engineering and a member of the permanent committee of private works and building activity of the Technical Chamber of Greece.
On the 6th of May in 2012 he was elected for the first-time member of Parliament in the constituency of Pella in the general elections on behalf of Nea Demokratia and he was reelected in the elections on the 17th of June in 2012, on July 7th 2019, on May 21st 2023 and June 25th 2023. On the 27th of June in 2023 he assumed duties as Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Rural Development and Food upon the decision of the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Dr Filitsa Karamaouna is a Research Director in Agricultural Entomology, Head of Laboratory of Efficacy Control of Pesticides at Benaki Phytopathological Institute. She has research experience on biological control and IPM of agricultural insect pests, evaluation of insecticidal effect of botanical substances on insect pests and their adverse effects on non-target (beneficial) insects, and groundcover management to enhance natural enemies of crop pests and pollinators in agroecosystems. She has long work experience in efficacy evaluation of pesticides (mainly insecticides) for registration purposes. She has participated as coordinator, action leader, research fellow in several projects funded by the EU (PRIMA PLANT-B, FP7-COFREE, FP7-PALMPROTECT, LIFE SAGE, LIFE ECOPEST), national (NanoBioEnviro) or private sector (Operation Pollinator). She has published around 35 peer-reviewed articles and 7 book chapters. She is the Chief Editor of Hellenic Plant Protection Journal (www.hppj.gr), Topic Editor in Insects, Assoc. Editor of International Journal of Pest Management, Review Editor in Frontiers in Bee Science. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7156-6875
Dr Andreas Panagopoulos is a Hydrogeologist, Research Director at the Soil and Water Resources Institute (SWRI) of the Hellenic Agricultural Organisation “DIMITRA”. His research interests include water resources management, monitoring of their quality and quantity, groundwater flow and pollution transport modelling, synthesis of NEXUS management policies through participatory approaches, hydrogeology, and climate change impacts on groundwater systems. He shares over 25 years of professional experience and has participated in more than 60 national and international R&D projects, mostly as SWRI’s project manager or team leader. He has worked as expert to European and Greek consultants’ consortia for the elaboration of development projects in Greece and Turkey, relating to water resources protection and management in the framework of EU Directives’ implementation. Dr Panagopoulos has been an acting member of the National Water Council and appointed national representative to the EU CIS working group for groundwater. He is the co-founder of Pinios Hydrologic Observatory, which is a member of the International Long Term Ecological Research network (ILTER) and the European Network of Hydrological Observatories (ENOHA).
George Makris, is S𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 Editor, Strategist & 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗰𝗵𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿 with 29 years of experience.
He works as a senior editor covering agribusiness, EU policies focusing on CAP and the green deal and commodities for “Agricola”, a special edition for agribusiness issued by “Kathimerini” newspaper and “Powergame.gr”, one of the leading economic sites in Greek (“Parapolitika” group).
He has worked as a communication strategist and speechwriter in the Ministries of Economy and Finance, Development & Investments, Health and Welfare as well as in the Association of the Greek Regions. He has been also appointed as an Expert for the InvestEU program by the EU Committee of the Regions.
He holds the position of secretary general in the Greek Branch of European Network of Agricultural Journalists. He has also been a member of the Greek Association of Journalists since 1998.
He holds a master’s degree in International and European Economy from Athens University of Economy and Business.
Antonios Vezyroglou studied Horticulture at the University of Nottingham (UK), pursued an MSc in Agricultural Economics at Wye College (University of London) and finally got an M.B.A. degree from Imperial College (UK).
Following his studies in the UK he worked for one year at the banking sector in London (Gerrard Investment Management) as an internal auditor, and another two years at a consulting firm in Oxford specializing in agricultural commodities (LMC International) where he worked as an economic analyst.
Returning to Greece he carried out market research in the fresh vegetable sector in Greece and in 2006 he founded together with his father the company “Vezyroglou Farm”. The Company today has vertical production of baby leaves, starting from field production, following to industrial production and reaching the final consumer.
Chara Panagopoulou is an agronomist with over 30 years of experience in plant protection products (PPP) policy working in the Greek Ministry of Rural Development and Food, department of Plant Protection Products (PPPs), since 1995. Her field of expertise is directly link to all matters related to PPPs participating in both national and international bodies. She is the Greek representative to the PPPs legislation section of the EU Standing Committee (SCoPAFF), as well as a member of the Greek delegate participating as an expert in the current ongoing discussions at the EU Council for the proposed by the EU Commission regulation on the sustainable use of pesticides (SUR). During these years of working in the Ministry she was involved in various working groups at EU level such as post approval issues, south zone steering committee, comparative risk assessment etc. She is responsible for the risk management of PPPs and for the communication with stakeholders, farmers and the public. She also develops national legislation and constructs guidance documents on various topics related to PPPs . She is also a GEP accreditation auditor. She is passionate about promoting integrated pest management and ensuring food quality and safety.
1982 Engineer of Agronomy Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
1988 PhD in Plant Pathology-Phytopharmacology, Agricultural University of Athens
Professional experience: 1986-1993 Ministry of Rural Development and Food, Department of Pesticides (Fungicides registration, National representative in various working groups for pesticides in European Commission.
1993-94 : Research Scientist- National Agricultural Research Foundation – Vine Institute
1995-2010 Senior Research Scientist, Head of the Laboratory of Biological Control/Efficacy of Pesticides (since 2003), Department of Pesticides Control & Phytopharmacy
3/2011-today: Regulatory Affairs Manager of ADAMA Hellas.
Participation and Coordination in European Research Projects, About 80 research publications in International and National Journals and Conferences. Training experience on the effective and rational use of pesticides. Reviewer of research papers and projects. Organizing and Scientific Committee of various Conferences. Technical support /Presentations in meeting days and Conferences of Adama Hellas products.
Committees of Hellenic Crop Protection Association: President of Integrated Pest Management, Environment and Food (2015-today). Member of Sustainable Use of PPPs/SUR (2022-today) and member of the Working group for Farm to Fork and Biodiversity and connection with Common Agricultural Practice (2020-today).
Journalist Maria Samolada began her professional journey in 2000, which resulted in her having work experience in and with all kinds of journalism and media. Some indicative examples of her work journey have been with Alter Channel, Real Fm 107.1, Ράδιο Θεσσαλονίκη 94.5 (Radio Thessaloniki 94.5), TV100, ThessNews, RealNews, Myportal; through reportages, being the main presenter of different programs and news broadcasts.
In 2018 she was the mind behind the creation of the economic and political online newspaper Grtimes.gr, still carrying the role of being the General Manager to date. She conducts personality interviews on WebTV and writes articles. She is the creator of WebRadio, makes podcasts, is responsible for editing the Journal of Police Alliance of Thessaloniki, and coordinates panels at conferences and seminars. Furthermore, she offers services of professional advice to Press Offices of organizations, entities, businesses and persons.
Since 2015, recognizing the crucial role that is necessary to hold for anyone who serves journalism, Maria Samolada devotes a rather respectable amount of her time and expertise in disseminating the innovative project against school and online bullying, LiveWithoutBullying.com; an act that lead her to honorably receive the Journalist Award by the Botsi Foundation.
She is born and raised in Thessaloniki, where she also works by choice. She is the mother of one, a boy, and she is also a member of the Union of Daily Newspaper Journalists of Macedonia – Thrace.