The prospects of Greek agriculture, as well as the national actions in relation to the CAP 2023-2027, were presented during the informative event entitled “The Common Agricultural Policy today and in the future: ecological and digital transformation for a sustainable Greek agriculture”, organized jointly by GAIA EPICHEIREIN and NEUROPUBLIC on Friday 2 February 2024 in Thessaloniki.

Representatives from the country’s political and business leadership, local authorities, the academic community and the agricultural world were present at The Met Hotel, with Mr. Christodoulos Antoniadis, President of NEUROPUBLIC, opening the evening, welcoming the attendees to Thessaloniki and to “this important event co-organized by GAIA EPICHEIREIN and NEUROPUBLIC for an issue that is topical and of great importance for our country“, he also stressed that “it is well known that the two companies have been playing a leading role for several years in informing and supporting producers and their collective schemes, while leading the development of agrifood“.

Then, the President of GAIA EPICHEIREIN, Mr. Christos Avgoulas, who, among other things, said that one can make significant criticisms of the CAP, but cannot overlook the fact that “it is a valuable toolbox for the support and development of the sector which should not be rejected outright when conditions are difficult, but we should make every effort first of all to make the best use of it at national level, but also to seek to improve it together with our EU partners for the benefit of the sustainability of the farmer and the countryside“.

The Minister of Rural Development and Food, Mr. Lefteris Avgenakis, who delivered the main speech of the event, referred to the current agricultural news and in particular to the issues of the mobilizations.

“We understand the anxiety and insecurity of farmers with the data we have. The climate crisis has taken over and the phenomena are not over with the disasters in Thessaly. We have to work wisely and with a perspective for the next period,” he argued, and referred to the aid package announced by the Prime Minister.

In his final remarks, the Minister spoke about the prospects opened up by the establishment of agricultural departments in the Chambers of Commerce and also the actions undertaken by our country for cooperation with the countries of the South (EUMED-9) on issues related to climate change in the primary sector.

Rosa Gargalakou, CEO of NEUROPUBLIC, in her turn, spoke about the digital transformation of the agricultural sector, which “is a one-way street and we have been serving it as a company for more than a decade”.

“The new CAP clearly recognises the introduction of digital technologies as the most important tool for the transition to an agriculture that is sustainable for the environment but also economically viable for the farmers who practice it. In this direction, digitalisation is a horizontal objective of the CAP, i.e. an objective that serves all the others,” she said.

“The crucial question that is being asked globally is not whether ” digitalisation can be implemented ” but whether and how the huge inequalities it can create at the expense of those unable to keep up with its dizzying pace can be addressed. We have no more time to waste,” Ms Gargalakou stressed, to conclude: “In this direction, the country’s decision to invest in the creation of a national public infrastructure for the collection and processing of data for agricultural use is more than promising and is bound to contribute decisively to the widespread use of new technologies in the field.”

Mr. Paolo de Castro, Member of the European Parliament, former President of the Committee on Agriculture & Rural Development of the European Parliament, former Minister of Agriculture of Italy, Ms. Catherine Geslain-Lannéelle, Director of Strategy & Policy Analysis of the Directorate-General for Agriculture & Rural Development of the European Commission, and Mr. Giorgos Katsoulis, President of the Association of Agricultural and Cooperative Organizations and Enterprises of Greece (SASOEE) took the floor.

The first part of the event was completed with conclusions by Mrs. Elli Tsiforou, Managing Director of GAIA EPICHEIREIN, who emphasized that “there should be an end to the tension, the polarization between the economic and environmental/climatic dimensions of agricultural activity and the corresponding objectives of the Green Deal of the CAP. The golden mean between economy and environment-climate must be found”.

The evening ended with a seated dinner where the attendees had the opportunity to enjoy a fine, specially designed menu with products from producers and businesses that apply the principles of smart farming and, in particular, the advice of NEUROPUBLIC’s innovative gaiasense system.

Specifically, potatoes from the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Messinia, tomato products from D. Nomikos S.A., green olives from Chalkidiki from G. Mylonopoulos & Co., cheeses from Moschos Farm, legumes from the company Arossis, beef from the Agricultural Cooperative of Kastoria, kiwifruit from the Agricultural Cooperative “Neos Aliakmon” and oranges from the company Anyfion Greece S.A. In all the preparations, olive oil from the company Terra Creta was used, while the dinner was accompanied by wine from the winery Kir Yianni Estate.

The event was attended by, among others, the Members of the Southwestern Parliament Mr. Stavros Kalafatis and Fanis Pappas, the MEP PASOK-KINAL, Mr. Nikos Papandreou, the Secretary General of Rural Development and Food, Mr. George Stratakos, the former Mayor of Thessaloniki, Mr. Yannis Boutaris, the interim President of OPEKEPE, Mr. Kyriakos Babasidis, the President of Geot.E.E., Mr. Menelaos Gardikiotis, the President of the Interprofessional Organization of Cotton, Mr. Efthymis Fotinos, the President of the Interprofessional Organization of Meat, Mr. Yannis Fassoulas, the Team Leader for Digitisation from DG Agriculture EU, Ms Evangelia Mourmoura, the former Member of the South-Western Parliament, Mr Kostas Kiltidis, the temporary Vice-Presidents of OPEKEPE, Mr. Eleftherios Zervos and Mr Kourdis Ioannis, the General Secretary of OPEKEPE, Mr Eleftherios Zervos and Mr. Kourdis Ioannis, the President of the European Commission, Mr. Kourdis, the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Commission. Mr. Eleftherios Zervier and Mr. Kierkerios, Mr. Alkiviadis Alexandrou, General Manager of Agricultural Banking of Piraeus Bank, representatives of the LATSCO Family Office, who hold a minority share in the share capital of NEUROPUBLIC, representatives of large agronomic offices and Presidents of Agricultural Cooperatives – shareholders of GAIA EPICHEIREIN from all over the country, and many others.

The Municipality of Thessaloniki was represented by the Deputy Mayor of Entrepreneurship & Citizen Service, Mr. Pantelis Kazantzidis, who addressed the attendees.