Archives

Ms. Rannia Savvaki

Rannia Savvaki prior to her position at the Embassy was an international (agri) business expert, combining education and training, consultancy and conceptual research expertise. She did her business studies in the UK and has over 25 years’ experience in the field of business development, value chain analysis, and strategic planning.

Besides advisory work she has been a lecturer and researcher for several Higher Education institutes in the Netherlands. Her research focus was on Netchain innovation in the EU agri-food industry: multi-actor approaches for regional innovation and entrepreneurship in niche supply chains aiming at policy advice on critical success factors for innovation in the agriculture sector. Through international consulting work she has gained a good insight in agricultural markets, value chain development, and the lead role of private investors in agriculture sector growth.

Dr. Spyros Fountas

Dr. Spyros Fountas is Associate Professor at Agricultural University of Athens and Editor-in-Chief in the ELSEVIER journal “Computers and Electronics in Agriculture” (IF: 3.84) since 2014. He holds an MSc from Cranfield University UK in Information Technology, and PhD from Copenhagen University, Denmark in Systems Analysis on Precision Agriculture.

He was Visiting Scholar at Purdue University, USA. He has been keynote speaker in several conferences among others in the International Horticultural Congress (IHC 18) in Istanbul, Turkey in August 2018 on “Applications of new technologies in horticultural crops”, in the 17th European Weed Research Society (EWRS), in France in June 2015 on “Big data analytics for crop protection”; in European Conference on Precision Agriculture (ECPA) in Spain in July 2013 on “Application of Precision Agriculture technology in high value crops”.

He has coordinated 3 H2020 projects, Smart-AKIS, GATES and currently OPTIMA on optimized Integrated Pest Management for precise detection and control of plant diseases. He is also participating in 22 other H2020 funded projects. He has 130 papers, including book chapters, journal papers and conference papers and 4000 citations (Google scholar, April 2021).

Dr. Antonia Trichopoulou

Dr. Trichopoulou is Professor Emeritus, School of Medicine, University of Athens. She has served as president of the Federation of the European Nutrition Societies (FENS) and as chairperson or key member of numerous Greek, European Commission and World Health Organization Committees.

She has received numerous honours and awards and was decorated by the President of the Greek Republic with the Golden Cross of Honor for her work in nutrition and public health. In 2011, she received the Federation of European Nutrition Societies (FENS) Award for her “outstanding nutritionist career”.

Her scientific work has focused on public health nutrition and nutrition epidemiology, with emphasis on the health effects of the Mediterranean diet and traditional foods. She has been included in the 2014 Thomson Reuters list of the Highly Cited Researchers in the field of Social Sciences, and in 2018 has been named a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate Analytics.

Dr. Dionysia-Theodora Avgerinopoulou

Dr. Dionysia-Theodora Avgerinopoulou, M.P., is a leading future in Environmental Law and Policy. She currently serves as a Member of the Hellenic Parliament and the Chair of the Special Permanent Parliamentary Committee on Environmental Protection and its Subcommittee of the Watercourses of the Hellenic Parliament.

She has served as the Vice-Chair of the Steering Committee of the Global Water Partnership Organization in Stockholm, Sweden, and the Head of Water of the Commission on Environment and Energy of the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris, France. Dr. Avgerinopoulou has also served as the Chairperson of the Standing Committee for the UN Affairs of the Inter- Parliamentary Union, in Geneva, Switzerland, Chairperson of the Circle of the Mediterranean Parliamentarians on Sustainable Development, and the Vice-Chair for the Mediterranean Commission for Sustainable Development, in Athens, Greece.

Dionysia received a first degree in Law from the Faculty of Law of the National and Kapodestrian University of Athens, Greece and an LL.M. in International Legal Studies from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. She also holds a Doctorate in International Environmental Law (J.S.D.) from Columbia University School of Law in New York, NY. Dionysia is the author of several articles and a book on environmental and international issues and has presented her work at several international conferences. She teaches Public International Law, International Environmental Law, European Environmental Law, Law of Sustainable Development, Global Environmental Governance and Climate Change Law.

Dionysia is an attorney-at-law by profession. She has previously worked, among others, at the Legal Service of the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, the Permanent Mission of the European Union at the United Nations in New York, U.S.A., the Center on Environmental and Land Use Law of the New York University School of Law in New York, the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy and the Yale Law School in New Haven, C.T., U.S.A. and the International and Foreign Law Institute in Athens, Greece.

She has been elected four times as a Member of the Hellenic Parliament and three times as the Chairperson of the Special Permanent Parliamentary Committee on Environmental Protection and its Subcommittee of the Watercourses. She has served as President of the Parliamentary Committee of Friendship between Greece and Botswana, Vice-Chair of the Parliamentary Committee of Friendship between Greece and Norway, Secretary of the Parliamentary Committee of Friendship between Greece and the Netherlands, and a Member of the Parliamentary Committees of Friendship between Greece and Albania, Canada, Japan, Israel,  Kenya, Singapore, U.S.A., and Russia. She has served as the Deputy Secretary of Volunteerism and NGOs and the Deputy Head of the Environmental Policy Sector of the New Democracy Party. Dr. Avgerinopoulou was a member of the Committee regarding the Genetically Modified Organisms of the Greek Ministry for Environment, Energy and Climate Change, and the parliamentary representative of her Party for the Law on Biodiversity that implemented the 2011-2020 Strategic Plan for Biodiversity and introduced the National Biodiversity Strategy for Greece.

In 2011, Dr. Avgerinopoulou was elected as a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum for her global leadership in environmental protection issues. In the same year, she received the “Green Star” Award by UNEP/OCHA/Green Cross International for her efforts in preventing and responding to environmental emergencies and natural disasters. She was also selected among the “40Under40” of the EU. In 2010, she also received a Special Congressional Recognition for her “outstanding efforts and invaluable contributions on behalf of Hellenic Students and the environment” and the Global Citizenship Award for Leadership in Assisting Humanity by Orphans International Worldwide in 2010. In 2009, she received the international Goddess Artemis Award by the Euro-American Women’s Council for her contribution to transatlantic cooperation between the U.S. and the EU on environmental and climate change issues.

She speaks Greek, English, French, German and Spanish. She is the mother of one young boy.

Mr. Tassos Haniotis

Tassos Haniotis is Director for “Strategy, Simplification and Policy Analysis” in the DG for Agriculture and Rural development of the European Commission. The mission of the Directorate is to contribute to the overall strategic orientation of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) by (i) providing policy perspectives and analysis on topics related to the agriculture and rural economy in the European Union, including in the development of the EU’s annual outlook baseline, (ii) coordinating the DG’s impact assessment of major policy initiatives by providing evidence-based analysis to support legislative proposals, and to support the adaptation of the CAP through the evaluation of its effectiveness, efficiency and impact based on its common monitoring and evaluation framework.

He has also held posts as Acting Director for Direct Payments, as Head of Unit in the Units for Agricultural Policy Analysis and Perspectives, and for Agricultural Trade Policy Analysis in DG AGRI, as Deputy Head of Cabinet of former European Commissioner for Agriculture Franz Fischler, and as Agricultural Counsellor in the European Commission’s Delegation in the US.

Tassos holds Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Agricultural Economics from the University of Georgia in the U.S., and a B.A. in Economics from the Athens University of Economics and Business in his native Greece, and was a visiting Fellow at the Centre for European Agricultural Studies, Wye College, University of London, focusing on EU-US agricultural trade relations in the Uruguay Round of GATT negotiations before joining the European Commission.

A member of the Executive of the International Agricultural Trade Research Consortium during 2012-14, Tassos currently represents the European Commission in the G20’s Rapid Response Forum and GEOGLAM Advisory Committee.

Mr. Dimitris Skarmoutsos

Globe-trotter and communicative, classic but modern, visionary and innovator, Dimitris Skarmoutsos is the chef who manages well in both Mediterranean and French cuisines, but also in sushi and street food. In every type of meal or cuisine, the starting point of his work is to create tasty and filling food.

Rather associated with «experimental» Greek cuisine, the chef introduces modern recipes, with respect to the Greek tradition, and focus on local ingredients, which he promotes with passion. In his hands, humble dishes like spinach with rice or a pumpkin pie go to the next level. Traditional dishes like moussaka seem innovative, while baked eggplants with lentils add an unexpected surprise to every meal.

Everything started while living in USA, where Dimitris Skarmoutsos completed his studies in economics from UCLA, and continued studying in the Culinary Institute of America. On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, he apprenticed to world-class chefs, learned all the secrets for international cuisines and worked for top restaurants and hotels until 2000. In 2001, he returned back to Greece to focus on Greek cuisine. His move was faced with success considering the fact that while working as a chef in «Alatsi» he won the Golden Skoufos («Toques d’or») and Gourmet awards, leading to wider recognition.

His successful television career started in 2010, with prime time shows («Master Chef» and «Junior Master Chef», «Without Recipe», «Blind Taste»), establishing him as one of the most recognizable, familiar και popular personalities in Greek gastronomy.

Mr. Anthony D. Papayannides

Has read Law in Athens University. Post-graduate studies in Law, Economics and International Relations and in Medieval History in Strasbourg and Cambridge.  DEA European Law, DIHEE European Economy. Practiced business law and EU law. Consultant on E.U. topics to the Athens Daily Newspaper Publishers’ Association.

Member, then national representative, of the negotiating team for the Integrated Mediterranean Programmes. Counsellor to the Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs, Counsellor to the Minister for Culture, Chairman of the Committee of Cultural Affairs at the E.U. Council. Consultant to the Bank of Greece. Founding member and member of the Board of a number of European affairs institutes and reviews in Greece (EKEME, EKEM, EEK)

From 1972 onwards a journalist and then a columnist at the Greek political daily “TO VIMA” and at the economic and financial weekly  “ECONOMICOS TACHYDROMOS”, specialising in macro-economic policy European affairs and foreign relations. Has also worked at “ELEFTHEROTYPIA” and “IMERISSIA” newspapers, managing editor of “ELEFHEROS TYPOS”.

Writes a bi-weekly column at “NAFTEMPORIKI”. Presently managing director of ECONOMIA Publishing, (“ECONOMIKI EPITHEORISSI”, “BUSINESS FILE”; writes a daily blog at economia.gr). Participates to the talk show “Evening Report” at ACTION 24 Channel.

Dr. Athanasios Kizos

Athanasios Kizos is Professor of “Rural Geography” in the Department of Geography of the University of the Aegean, where he teaches from 2003. He has a Bachelor in Agricultural Science and a Ph.D. in Environmental Policy and Management.

His research is focused on local and rural development and spatial impacts of agricultural, agri-environmental and rural development policies and with agricultural landscape changes in relation to rural households and other rural actors’ practices’ that includes geographies of quality, services’ provision and multifunctionality.

He has published more than 100 papers in international and domestic scientific journals and edited volumes and recently his book “Rural Development: Concepts, Practices and Policies” was published by Tziola publishers.

Mr. Geert Wilms

Geert Wilms studied Horticulture at Wageningen University and Business Administration at Open University. For more than 20 years Geert has been director of Agricultural Innovation Brabant (LIB), and he is consultant at Royal Haskoning DHV.

LIB is a partnership of Province North-Brabant and farmers organization ZLTO. Each year more than 30 innovative projects are initiated and supported, with the participation of hundreds of (agricultural) businesses. Several workshops are organized and guided. Geert is directly accountable to the President of ZLTO and regional Minister of agriculture in North-Brabant. One project he started and is very proud of: “Smart irrigation in agriculture; 3.000 farmers participating with 60.000 hectares, and 25% gain of efficiency in water use”.

 Geert Wilms also is a speaker, discussion leader and initiator of cooperation in different regions in Europe. He is/was involved in more than 15 European funded projects, for example Water management, Water conservation, Agrispin, Eurodairy, EU-PIG and STRING.

Dr. Charalambos Kasimis

Charalambos Kasimis is a Professor at the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development of the Agricultural University of Athens. In March 2015, he was appointed as Secretary General of Agricultural Policy and Management of European Funds of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, in charge of CAP, Rural Development and Fisheries Development Programmes of Greece as well as International Relations. He completed his term in office in July 2019.

He has served as the Head of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development (2013-2014) and as the Director of the Postgraduate Studies MSc. Programme “Integrated Rural Development and Management of Rural Space” (2010-2014). Between September 2014 and March 2015, he was appointed as Deputy Rector of the Agricultural University of Athens. In the period 1986-2003 he served as a member of staff at the Department of Economics of the University of Patras and between 1995 and 2000 as the Director of the Institute of Urban and Rural Sociology at the National Centre for Social Research. For a number of years, he served as a member of the Executive Committee of the European Society for Rural Sociology and between 2013 and 2015 as President.

His academic interests focus on issues of rural transformation and development in Greece, the Balkans and the Mediterranean region and more particularly on family farming, employment and rural community change. Migration and, more precisely, the implications of international migration on rural regions have become one of his main research topics in the past years. In the crisis years he dealt with the study of the implications of the economic crisis upon the rural areas and the ‘return to the land’ movement in Greece.

Since 2016 Charalampos Kasimis is Vice President and member of the Governing Board of the International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM).

Between 2018 -2019 he served as Executive Board member of the Organisation “Enterprise Greece”.