The Congress Opening Session will formally launch the 2026 Congress of European Farmers by bringing together European institutional and farming leaders to set the political and strategic context for the discussions ahead. The session will focus on the future of European agriculture, competitiveness, resilience and food security, while highlighting the role of farmers and agricultural cooperatives in shaping the sector’s long-term development.
Christophe Hansen has served as European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food since 2024. His portfolio focuses on strengthening the competitiveness, resilience and sustainability of European agriculture and implementing the recommendations of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of Agriculture in the EU. His responsibilities include shaping the future Common Agricultural Policy, fostering investment and innovation in the agri-food sector, supporting fair and sufficient incomes for farmers, addressing unfair trading practices, promoting generational renewal and strengthening Europe’s food sovereignty and rural areas.
Before joining the European Commission, Hansen served as a Member of the European Parliament from 2018 to 2023 and again in 2024. From 2023 to 2024, he was a Member of the Luxembourg Parliament and chaired its Committee on Environment, Climate and Biodiversity. He also served as Secretary-General of Luxembourg’s Christian Social People’s Party (CSV) from 2021 to 2024 and was previously a member of the European Economic and Social Committee and worked in the European Affairs Office of the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce.
Biography source: European Commission
Photograph credit: © European Union – Source: European Commission
Massimiliano Giansanti was elected President of Copa in 2024. Since 2017, he has been President of Confagricoltura and from 2020 to 2024, he served as Vice President of Copa. Prior to this, he was President of Confagricoltura Rome, then Vice President of Confagricoltura Lazio and Vice President of Confagricoltura Nazionale Board of Directors. He has acted as Board Member in many agricultural private and public bodies such as the National Association on water Management, the Rome Chamber of Commerce, and the National Institute for Farming Mechanization. Mr Giansanti runs farms in Rome, Viterbo and Parma, is a producer of Parmigiano Reggiano, and supplies high-quality milk for the dairy processor Centrale del latte di Roma.
Lennart Nilsson was elected President of Cogeca in 2024. He has been a Board Member of the Federation of Swedish Farmers (LRF) since 2012 and has a long-standing commitment to the Swedish cooperative movement. He is President of a grain and supply cooperative Harplinge Lantmän and a member of the Lantmännen cereal cooperative. Since 1990, Lennart runs a mixed farm with arable crops and cattle breeding with his wife and two brothers in law. They manage a herd of 250 Charolais breeding cattle, 200 hectares of arable land and 100 hectares of pastures. He has also been heavily involved in Copa-Cogeca's working parties, and previously served as Vice-Chair in the cereals working party and as Chair of the Working party for Oilseeds and Protein Crops.
Damien O’Reilly joined ICOS as EU Affairs and Communications Manager in November 2022. Damien runs the ICOS Brussels office and works on EU policy developments relevant to ICOS members. He is also Chair of the Cooperative Coordination Committee of Cogeca. Previously, he spent 24 years as a broadcast journalist with RTÉ Radio 1. Before leaving the media, Damien presented Countrywide, an award-winning farming, food and rural affairs programme, and worked across news, sport and current affairs. Damien is a co-founder member of the European Network of Agricultural Journalists.
Workshop 1 will examine the sustained cost and availability pressures affecting European farmers, particularly in relation to fertilisers, crop protection products, feed and labour. Bringing together farmers, agricultural organisations and technical experts, the session will focus on practical solutions capable of improving farm viability, competitiveness and resilience while reflecting the economic realities experienced across the sector.
Emma Terander is Head of Labour Market at Gröna arbetsgivare, the Swedish employers’ organisation for the green industries, where she currently works as the executive responsible for labour-market issues and also as a sector contact for Swedish veterinary care. Her remit places her at the centre of employment conditions, migration and labour-supply questions, employer advocacy, and the broader workforce agenda in sectors that are structurally dependent on seasonal, specialist, and geographically dispersed labour. Emma Terander has appeared in agricultural social-dialogue settings for more than a decade, and her work in Swedish policy discussions on rural integration shows a career anchored in labour-market representation.
Billy Goodburn is Head of Learning & Development at the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society, where he has overall responsibility for learning and development, with a particular mandate for talent development and the wider human-capital agenda across Ireland’s co-operative and agri-food ecosystem. That role makes him more than an internal training manager. He is working on strategic capability-building for the sector, aligning programmes with the National Skills Strategy, raising professional standards, and representing industry interests across educational, regulatory, funding, and social-partner settings. He is therefore positioned as a specialist in workforce capability, executive development, and future-skills design for co-operative enterprise. Billy has more than twenty years of industry experience and has chaired groups while representing the sector to educators, regulators, ministerial offices, trade associations, and standards bodies. Billy has managed and participated in several European initiatives focused on future skills and workplace competencies in agri-food. Billy is a certified professional behavioural, motivators and competencies analyst.
Afonso Cavaleiro de Ferreira Bulhão Martins is an agribusiness executive and agricultural-sector representative. He is the Manager of CFBM Agricultura and also serves as a board member of CAP – Confederação dos Agricultores de Portugal. In addition, he is a voting member of the Associação de Beneficiários do Lucefecit. His professional experience combines the practical management of agricultural activities with representation within Portugal’s organised farming sector. Through these roles, he contributes to strategic decision-making, sectoral cooperation and the continued development of agricultural organisations. Afonso has a particular interest in improving organisational management and modernising management practices. His experience is nevertheless rooted primarily in agricultural organisations that retain relatively traditional structures, giving him first-hand insight into the challenges and opportunities involved in introducing more modern approaches while preserving established agricultural practices.
Caroline Van der Heyden is a policy adviser at Boerenbond, Belgium’s leading farmers’ organisation, where she carries one of the most technically demanding environmental portfolios in Flemish agriculture. Caroline is the environmental policy advisor with special purview over manure and air policy. That remit places her at the centre of the compliance architecture shaping nutrient management, emissions control, permitting, and environmental accountability for farm businesses. Her professional trajectory is characterised less by a sequence of employer changes than by accumulation of specialist authority inside a highly regulated field. Caroline has a long history of working on a range of topics from the guidance on the 2025 nitrate residue campaign, the implementation implications of the revised manure decree, and the EU approval of RENURE circular fertilisers. Caroline, with this breadth of experience in environmental topics, was elected as Second Vice Chair of the Copa-Cogeca Working Party on Environment and Climate in 2026.
Matei Titianu is the President of LAPAR, the League of Associations of Agricultural Producers in Romania. He combines institutional representation with active commercial farming in Brăila County, where Romanian business and farming press describe him as part of the family-run Agrorusava enterprise. With his background in agronomy, he has emerged as one of the more visible younger Romanian arable leaders, arguing for greater capital access, better risk management, improved digitalisation, and production resilience. Romanian coverage reports that he graduated with a Bachelors in both Agriculture and History, followed by two Master’s degrees in Agribusiness and he is currently pursuing a PhD. Matei has developed deep technical emphasis in seed production, maize and sunflower hybridisation, and agronomic optimisation suggests a profile shaped equally by management discipline and cropping expertise.
Francie Gorman is the 17th President of the Irish Farmers’ Association and was elected in October 2024 as a Vice President of Copa. He took office as IFA President in January 2024 for a four-year term, bringing to this role both practical livestock experience and years of experience inside Ireland’s most influential farm organisation. He is a beef and sheep farmer from Ballinakill, County Laois, and his day-to-day leadership remit now spans national farm lobbying, Irish and European CAP advocacy, high-level institutional representation, and board-level involvement in sector bodies. Alongside his role as President of the IFA, he is also a director of Bord Bia, the Irish food promotion authority, underscoring his position inside Ireland’s agrifood governance hierarchy. Before winning the presidency, he served as IFA South Leinster Regional Chair, chaired Laois IFA, and represented Laois IFA on the National Farm Business Committee.
Stéphane Jézéquel is Scientific Director at ARVALIS, France’s applied-research institute for arable crops, where he defines and promotes the institute’s scientific strategy, leads operational foresight, supports programme governance, chairs the Scientific Council, and oversees internal research calls. He has held the position since January 2021. Stéphane joined the Institut technique des céréales et des fourrages in 1990 as a regional engineer in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, developing more than three decades of scientific and field experience. His work has been particularly associated with durum-wheat production, the management of the Gréoux experimental station, and the creation of regional, national, and international research partnerships. An agronomic engineer graduate of the École nationale supérieure agronomique de Toulouse, Stéphane has developed recognised expertise in cropping systems, drought and heat stress, climate adaptation, agroecological transition, biodiversity, irrigation, and sustainable agricultural productivity. His career reflects a consistent focus on converting collaborative applied research into practical solutions that reconcile crop quality, farm profitability, market requirements, and environmental performance.
Isabel van Zeller Basto has been an agronomist since 2004, after graduating from the Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro in Portugal. In 2010, she was awarded a PhD by the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Piacenza, Italy, where her research focused on the agro-food system, with particular emphasis on varietal resistance to stress. She is currently the permanent representative in Brussels of Confagri – the Portuguese Confederation of Farmers’ Cooperatives, acting as both expert and liaison within Copa-Cogeca. In this role, Isabel actively promotes and defends the interests of agri-food cooperatives and farmers at European level. Since September, Isabel also took up the post of Secretary-General of FENALAC, the Portuguese Federation of dairy Cooperatives.
Workshop 2 will examine how artificial intelligence can support greater productivity, resource efficiency and resilience across European agriculture and forestry. Bringing together representatives from agricultural organisations, cooperatives, technology-oriented companies and the European Commission, the session will explore practical AI applications, barriers to adoption, data access and ownership, digital infrastructure, investment needs and the policy conditions required to ensure that innovation remains farmer-centred and supports sound business decision-making.
Max, born on 14 March 1966, grew up on his family farm, which he took over in 1986. Stor-Tötar Gård is a historic farm combining arable farming and forestry in southwestern Finland and has been in the family for approximately 400 years. This continuity will hopefully continue into the next generation, as Max is raising three sons together with his Spanish wife, Marta. Before assuming full responsibility for running the farm, and after earning a degree in Agricultural Economics, Max worked as a grain trader for the Finnish Grain Board. He subsequently worked in the agricultural machinery sector from 2003 to 2008, a role that took him around the world, from the Americas to China. For the past 18 years, he has worked at the Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK) as Senior Advisor for cereals, oilseeds and protein crops. From 2013 to 2019, Max served as Chairman of the Cereals Working Group of Copa-Cogeca in Brussels. He is a member of the EU Arable Crops Market Observatory and served as Chairman of the Civil Dialogue Group on Arable Crops from 2018 to 2020. Since 2020, he has been the owner of Farm-XPort Ltd, a grain-trading company specialising in special consignments. He is also a co-founder and board member of GrainSense Ltd, developer of a portable analyser for grain protein content and quality. Max served as Chairman of VYR, the Finnish Grain Committee, from 2018 to 2021. Since 2020, he has chaired the Agri-Food Chain Round Table on plant protection products (PPPs). Since 2023, he has been Chairman of the Copa-Cogeca Phytosanitary Working Group and Vice-Chairman of the Seeds Working Group. He is also a member of the EU Fertiliser Market Observatory and, from 2026, a member of the EFSA Management Board. He also serves on advisory boards for numerous projects at both Finnish national and EU level.
Pierluigi Londero is Head of Data Governance at the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Commission. An economist by training, over the last thirty years Pierluigi has contributed to several reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy and to bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations. Over the last four years, he has led the unit responsible for data and AI governance, data integration and the digitalisation of the EU agricultural sector.
Per Arfvidsson is Executive Vice President and Chef Technological Officer of the Lantmännen Group, one of Northern Europe’s leading farmer-owned cooperatives spanning agriculture, food, machinery, and bioenergy. Sitting on Group Management and holding board roles at Agronod, Sweden Food Arena and Tillväxtbolaget, Per oversees group-wide technology, operational architecture, strategic business development, and digital innovation from field to table. An engineer by training with a background spanning industrial management, logistics, and R&D, he leads Lantmännen’s strategic adoption of cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence, smart data systems, and automated operations, to drive resilience, competitiveness, and sustainability across the entire agri-food value chain.
Leonardo Pofferi has extensive experience in European affairs and the cooperative sector. Since 2014, he has served as Head of the Brussels Office of Confcooperative and Chairman of the Cooperative Coordination Committee of Cogeca, as well as a member of the Cogeca Presidency. Since 2016, he has been Director for European Affairs of the Alliance of Italian Cooperatives, whose agri-food sector represents a significant share of Italian agricultural and food production. Leonardo served as Fourth Vice-President of Cogeca from 2019 to 2023 and as Second Vice-President from 2024 to 2026. He is also a Board Member of Cooperatives Europe. Earlier in his career, he was Permanent Representative in Brussels of Fedagri Confcooperative from 1999 to 2013 and participated in European Commission high-level forums on the competitiveness and functioning of the agri-food supply chain. Leonardo studied Political Science at the University of Bologna and holds a Master’s in EU Law and Policy from the European College of Parma.
Vasileios Pyrgiotis is a Member of the Board of Directors and Head of the Brussels Office of GAIA EPICHEIREIN, representing Greek farmers and agricultural cooperatives at EU level. With over 16 years of experience in European affairs and EU-funded projects, his work focuses on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), agricultural innovation and the digital transformation of agriculture. He represents GAIA EPICHEIREIN within Copa-Cogeca and Farm Europe, the European Commission's Civil Dialogue Groups and the International Olive Council, contributing to agricultural policy discussions at European and international levels. His professional background combines institutional representation with extensive experience in the design, management and implementation of projects in the agricultural and IT sectors, particularly in smart farming, data-driven agriculture and the practical adoption of digital technologies by farmers. He holds a degree in International and European Studies from the University of Piraeus and a Master's degree in Geopolitics and International Relations from Sciences Po Toulouse.
Workshop 3 will examine how improved access to land, finance and investment can strengthen the position of women farmers and contribute to generational renewal in European agriculture. Bringing together representatives from farming organisations, academia, the European Commission and the financial sector, the session will explore barriers linked to collateral, farm size and risk perception, as well as practical financial and policy solutions that can enable women to invest, innovate, modernise their farms and contribute more fully to farm succession and new entry into the sector.
Katarina Pettersson is a researcher and Head of the Division of Rural Development at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. She holds a PhD and is a docent in social and economic geography. Her research examines rural development, gender, entrepreneurship, sustainability and agricultural change, with particular emphasis on women’s entrepreneurship, care farming, farm tourism and rural policy. She has led and contributed to major international projects, including the Horizon Europe GRASS Ceiling project on gender equality in rural innovation systems, research on urban and peri-urban agriculture in Rwanda, and the SteamBioAfrica project on gender equality and social inclusion. Her publication record spans more than two decades and includes influential work on feminist approaches to innovation policy and critical entrepreneurship studies. In 2012, an article on women’s entrepreneurship received a Highly Commended distinction in the Emerald Literati Awards. Her work combines academic leadership, policy relevance and international research impact. Photo credit: Anni Hoffren, SLU
Francesca Gironi is an agricultural entrepreneur, horse breeder and Chair of the Copa-Cogeca Women’s Committee, where she represents women farmers and agricultural cooperatives at European level. She also serves as a member of the Women’s Committee of the World Farmers’ Organisation, National Vice President of Donne Coldiretti and President of Donne Coldiretti Marche. Since July 2025, she has served as President of the Consorzio di Bonifica delle Marche, following two years as President of its Assembly and as President of ANBI Marche. Based in the Marche region, she manages a multifunctional agricultural enterprise combining cereal and forage production, organic feed, horse breeding, riding facilities, and educational and social farming activities. She established the business in 2008 after working in marketing, communications, press relations and international consultancy. Francesca holds degrees in Legal Services Sciences and Law, together with training in business communication and foreign languages. Her career combines agricultural entrepreneurship, institutional governance, rural social innovation and the advancement of women’s leadership in farming.
Silvia Manca, is currently the Head of the Thematics & Advisory Division at the European Investment Fund, part of the EIB Group, where she leads a high-calibre team of professionals working across financial instruments and programmes in thematic areas where EIF is active including innovation, climate and sustainability, security and defence as well as arts, culture and media. In particular, she was part of the team who designed the first financial instrument dedicated to Culture and Creative sectors, in cooperation with the European Commission. She has also worked extensively on the design and implementation of new programs between EIF and other institutions to support access to finance for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, with a particular focus on microfinance, social entrepreneurship and impact investing. Prior to joining EIF, Silvia held positions at State Street Bank. She holds a Master's degree in Economics and Management of Arts, Culture and Communication from Bocconi University in Milano, and studies in international management at the Copenhagen Business School (CBS). A passionate supporter of performing arts she has organised several editions of an international dance gala in Italy.
Viktoria Östlund is First Vice-Chair of the Copa-Cogeca Women’s Committee, a board member of the Federation of Swedish Farmers and Head of Development & Sustainability at Flyinge and Ridskolan Strömsholm. She is an animal-science agronomist with expertise in livestock production, equine nutrition, feed science and sustainable agricultural development. Earlier in her career, she served as a beef and lamb expert for LRF Kött and taught feed science at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. She also farms Roslövsholm in Flyinge with her husband, combining arable production, horse-related activities and property rental. Her career integrates practical farming, scientific expertise, institutional management and agricultural representation. Since 2025, she has used her European and national leadership positions to address barriers facing women and young farmers, including access to finance, business development and equal participation.
Maria Gafo Gómez-Zamalloa is Head of the Social Sustainability Unit in the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, where she also serves as DG AGRI’s Equality Coordinator. She leads work on generational renewal, women in agriculture, rural demographics and the social dimension of the Common Agricultural Policy. Her Commission career has included senior responsibilities in forestry, bioenergy, climate policy and rural development. She coordinated the EU’s Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas, adopted in 2021, the 2013 EU Forest Strategy and, more recently, the EU Strategy on Generational Renewal in Agriculture and the Women in Farming Platform. Her unit contributes to the social and societal components of the current and future CAP. She holds a PhD in Forest Policy and Economics from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, has studied at Wageningen University and the University of Debrecen, and earned a diploma in European studies from the Diplomatic School of Spain. Her career is distinguished by shaping long-term EU policy frameworks connecting agricultural policy, rural resilience, equality and social sustainability.
Photo credit: European Commission
Nicolas Dedousis is an Agri-Banking Strategist within Piraeus Bank’s Agricultural Banking function in Greece, where his work focuses on financing farmers and agri-food businesses, investment planning and agricultural financial instruments. He has extensive experience in the bank’s agricultural-banking activities and has contributed to sector discussions on improving access to finance, including blended finance and support for young farmers. His core expertise spans agricultural finance, food marketing and economics, as well as the commercial needs of primary producers and agri-food businesses. Dedousis holds an MSc in Food Marketing & Economics from the University of Reading and a bachelor’s degree from the Agricultural University of Athens. His profile combines specialist agricultural training with substantial experience in the banking sector.
The Showcase Workshop will present European research and innovation projects in which Copa-Cogeca is involved, demonstrating how EU-funded initiatives can generate practical knowledge, digital tools and innovative solutions for farmers, forest owners, advisors and cooperatives. Through presentations on EU-FarmBook, BALANCE and EU4Advice, the session will examine how research results can be translated into accessible knowledge, stronger advisory systems and practical approaches supporting competitiveness, sustainability, biodiversity, resilient farm businesses and knowledge exchange across European agriculture.
Pedro Peña Tapia is a Policy Advisor in the Commodities Team at Copa-Cogeca, where he works on EU policy developments concerning organic farming, rice, flowers and ornamental plants, and tobacco. In this role, he supports the representation of European farmers and agricultural cooperatives and contributes to policy work aimed at strengthening the competitiveness and sustainability of these sectors. Prior to joining Copa-Cogeca, he gained experience in the European agri-food sector with AVEC EU Poultry and studied at the Brussels School of Governance.
Giuseppe Sirignano is Project Officer at Copa-Cogeca, where his responsibilities cover Research and Innovation and EU Projects. As part of the General Affairs team, he contributes to Copa-Cogeca’s work on European research and innovation initiatives and projects relevant to the agricultural sector, supporting the organisation’s engagement in these areas.
Umberto Di Pasquo is the Director for Resilience, Innovation, and Social Affairs at Copa-Cogeca in Brussels. He coordinates the work of the Cooperative Coordination Committee and the Risk Management and Insurance Working Party. During his tenure at Copa-Cogeca, he has also represented the sector within the Sherpa group of the European Commission’s High-Level Forum for a better functioning of the food value chain and contributed to Commission Expert Sub-Groups on supply chain digitalization. His career connects EU policy frameworks with practical application: he has mentored researchers at Politecnico di Milano in technology transfer, worked on digital strategy at the International Confederation of Popular Banks (CIBP), and manages a rural hospitality business in Southern Italy. At Copa-Cogeca, together with his team, he works to influence legislative frameworks to secure the legal and financial foundations necessary for next-generation growth, ensuring European policies on cooperative affairs, research and innovation, digital, tax and legal, social affairs, and risk management directly benefit farmers and their cooperatives.
Tamás Racskó is a Policy Advisor at Copa-Cogeca, specialising in climate resilience and carbon emissions related topics. As part of the Cross-cutting Policies in Agriculture and Forestry team, he contributes to Copa-Cogeca’s policy work and analysis in these areas, addressing issues of importance to European farmers and agricultural cooperatives. Prior to his current role, he was responsible for plant protection and plant health within Copa-Cogeca for 9 months, worked as an agricultural attaché in the Hungarian Permanent Representation in Brussels for 2 years and was also working for several Hungarian organisations, like the Federation of Hungarian Food Industries, the Hungarian Chamber of Agriculture and the Ministry of Agriculture for additional 14 years.
The Special Workshop will examine how digital labelling and electronic record-keeping can help reduce administrative complexity for European farmers while improving access to accurate information on the safe and effective use of plant protection products. Focusing on AgriGuide, developed by CropLife Europe, Copa and Cogeca and partner organisations, the session will explore how digital product labels, simplified application records and interoperability with farm management systems can support compliance with EU requirements. Particular attention will be given to farmer ownership and control of data, data security, interoperability and the potential for better-quality information to improve transparency, regulatory understanding and realistic assessments of plant protection product use.
Elli Tsiforou has served as Secretary General of Copa and Cogeca since September 2024. She previously held senior leadership positions at GAIA EPICHEIREIN, including as Director General and CEO. From 2015 to 2020, she headed the organisation’s Brussels Office, overseeing its establishment and development and strengthening its European network and representation. With more than 20 years of experience in European agricultural policy and public affairs, she has held several policy and advisory positions at European and national level and has extensive experience representing the interests of farmers and agricultural cooperatives.
Georgiana brings more than 25 years of experience in digital transformation. Before joining CropLife Europe, she was Adama’s Global Head of Precision Ag and Digital Services, working closely with Farm Management Systems and agri-tech start-ups. She now serves as a full-time consultant to CropLife Europe, where she is Chair of the AgriGuide project and actively contributes to its Technical pillar. Actively involved with her local winegrower’s association in the cultivation, harvesting and production of wines, she brings first-hand insight into growers’ needs and a strong conviction in the value of digitalisation for agriculture.
Pierluigi Londero is Head of Data Governance at the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Commission. An economist by training, over the last thirty years Pierluigi has contributed to several reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy and to bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations. Over the last four years, he has led the unit responsible for data and AI governance, data integration and the digitalisation of the EU agricultural sector.
Dr. Matthias Nachtmann is an agricultural engineer and expert in digital farming, agricultural data and data-driven value chains, with more than 30 years of experience working at the intersection of agriculture, technology and business. He is Chairman of Friends of Digital Farming e.V., bringing together farming, industry, and research to advance the practical use of agricultural data and digital technologies for productivity, compliance and sustainability. He is also co-editor of the Handbook of Digital Farming and lectures on agricultural data. Throughout his career, Matthias has worked closely with farmers, agribusinesses, technology providers and research organisations, with a strong focus on turning data, interoperability and digital solutions into practical value for farmers and the wider agri-food system. He has moderated and contributed to high-level international discussions for organisations and platforms including the OECD, the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit and Reuters Events.
Mr. Jelte Wiersma is the Secretary General of CEMA – the European Association representing the Agricultural Machinery manufacturers in Europe. CEMA’s members are 11 National Associations and the biggest seven tractor manufacturers in Europe. Mr. Wiersma, a Dutch national, worked since 2014 as EU-correspondent for the leading Dutch weekly, covering on European affairs, including agriculture, and agri-food-related issues. He is one of the founding members of the Holland House in Brussels.
Joachim Rukwied, born in August 1961, has served as President of the German Farmers’ Association since June 2012 and was President of the Committee of Professional Agricultural Organisations (COPA) from 2017 to 2020. He has also been President of the Baden-Württemberg Farmers’ Association since 2006. In addition, he is involved in a number of professional organisations as a member of supervisory boards. After completing an agricultural apprenticeship, he studied agriculture at Nürtingen University of Applied Sciences, graduating in 1987 as a qualified engineer. He subsequently joined his family farm in Eberstadt as a partner and took over the farm in 1994. He remains actively engaged in arable farming, viticulture and field vegetable production. Joachim Rukwied is married and has three children.
European agriculture and forestry are operating in an increasingly complex economic and geopolitical environment, shaped by international competition, evolving trade relations, security concerns, environmental pressures and the prospect of further EU enlargement. Against this background, the Congress plenary sessions will examine how Europe can strengthen the resilience of its agricultural sector while safeguarding food security, maintaining viable farming communities and preparing for future EU integration. Particular attention will be given to the implications of enlargement for the Common Agricultural Policy, agricultural markets, trade, production standards and the allocation of resources. Bringing together farmers, cooperatives, policymakers, international organisations and industry representatives, the plenary discussions will provide a forum to identify practical priorities for Europe’s agricultural future and to ensure that agriculture remains a central pillar of European competitiveness, security and long-term resilience.
Palle Borgström (LRF, SE) is President of the Federation of Swedish Farmers (LRF). Since 1981, he runs a farm with arable crops and milk production together with his brother. A herd of dairy cattle with 170 cows, 350 hectares arable land and 200 hectares forest.
Lennart Nilsson was elected President of Cogeca in 2024. He has been a Board Member of the Federation of Swedish Farmers (LRF) since 2012 and has a long-standing commitment to the Swedish cooperative movement. He is President of a grain and supply cooperative Harplinge Lantmän and a member of the Lantmännen cereal cooperative. Since 1990, Lennart runs a mixed farm with arable crops and cattle breeding with his wife and two brothers in law. They manage a herd of 250 Charolais breeding cattle, 200 hectares of arable land and 100 hectares of pastures. He has also been heavily involved in Copa-Cogeca's working parties, and previously served as Vice-Chair in the cereals working party and as Chair of the Working party for Oilseeds and Protein Crops.
Roberta Metsola has served as President of the European Parliament since January 2022 and was re-elected for a second term in July 2024, becoming the first woman to serve two terms as President of the institution. During her presidency, she has led reforms aimed at making the European Parliament more modern, efficient and accountable, while prioritising engagement with citizens across EU Member States and candidate countries.
She was first elected to the European Parliament in 2013 and was re-elected in 2014, 2019 and 2024. In 2020, she became First Vice-President of the European Parliament, the first Maltese national to hold the position. She previously served as Coordinator of the European People’s Party Group in the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and as Parliament’s rapporteur on the European Border and Coast Guard Regulation.
Prior to becoming a Member of the European Parliament, she worked at the Permanent Representation of Malta to the European Union and later as legal adviser to the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. A lawyer specialising in European law and politics, she graduated from the University of Malta and the College of Europe in Bruges and also completed an Erasmus exchange in France.
Biography source: European Parliament
Photograph credit: © European Union - Source: EP
Massimiliano Giansanti was elected President of Copa in 2024. Since 2017, he has been President of Confagricoltura and from 2020 to 2024, he served as Vice President of Copa. Prior to this, he was President of Confagricoltura Rome, then Vice President of Confagricoltura Lazio and Vice President of Confagricoltura Nazionale Board of Directors. He has acted as Board Member in many agricultural private and public bodies such as the National Association on water Management, the Rome Chamber of Commerce, and the National Institute for Farming Mechanization. Mr Giansanti runs farms in Rome, Viterbo and Parma, is a producer of Parmigiano Reggiano, and supplies high-quality milk for the dairy processor Centrale del latte di Roma.
Nikolaus Berlakovich is an Austrian Farmer and politician who, since 2018, has served as President of the Burgenland Chamber of Agriculture. Prior to this, he was member of parliament for the state of Burgeland from 1991 to 2005 and was later appointed Austrian Agriculture and Environment Minister from 2008 until 2013. Mr. Berlakovich presides over the Austrian Chamber of Agriculture's Committee of Plant Protection, while also holding leadership roles within the Burgenland Croatian community. Mr Berlakovich holds the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria. He studied crop production at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, where he graduated from in 1985.
Francesca Gironi is an agricultural entrepreneur, horse breeder and Chair of the Copa-Cogeca Women’s Committee, where she represents women farmers and agricultural cooperatives at European level. She also serves as a member of the Women’s Committee of the World Farmers’ Organisation, National Vice President of Donne Coldiretti and President of Donne Coldiretti Marche. Since July 2025, she has served as President of the Consorzio di Bonifica delle Marche, following two years as President of its Assembly and as President of ANBI Marche. Based in the Marche region, she manages a multifunctional agricultural enterprise combining cereal and forage production, organic feed, horse breeding, riding facilities, and educational and social farming activities. She established the business in 2008 after working in marketing, communications, press relations and international consultancy. Francesca holds degrees in Legal Services Sciences and Law, together with training in business communication and foreign languages. Her career combines agricultural entrepreneurship, institutional governance, rural social innovation and the advancement of women’s leadership in farming.
He has been owner of the farm Luenhøj since 1995, currently cultivating 340 hectares of arable land. Christian joined the Board of the seed corporation DLF, one of the largest seed corporations in the world, in 2003 and has been the Chairman since 2013. Prior to that, he was Vice-Chairman for two years. Furthermore, he is the newest member of the Danish Agriculture and Food Council’s top political management, the Joint Presidency, which he joined in December 2021. Christian holds a master’s degree in Agricultural Science from the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University in Denmark
Jan Doležal is a Czech farmer currently serving as the 5th Vice-President of Copa since he was elected to this position in 2024. Furthermore, he has been President of the Agrarian Chamber of the Czech Republic since 2020, after working in various key roles, including as Secretary General, from 2017 until 2020, and Policy Expert for the Chamber, from 2014 until 2017. Doležal holds a Master's degree in Rural Development and Agriculture, awarded in 2016, and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations and European Studies in 2010
Olivier de Matos has served as Director General at CropLife Europe since 2021 and is an experienced Public Affairs professional, with a focus on media relations and crisis management. Prior to this, he was Secretary General at the European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals from 2017 until 2021, leading the association and promoting its scientific programme activities and initiatives. Before that he held various leadership positions at Burson-Marsteller (now BCW) where he worked for more than 15 years
Pedro Barato Triguero is the Vice-President of Copa and has served as a member of the Copa Praesidium since 2013. He has been National President of ASAJA and President of ASAJA Ciudad Real since 1990, having previously played a leading role in the consolidation of three agricultural organisations into ASAJA in 1988. He is also President of the Spanish National Confederation of Sugar Beet and Sugar Cane Growers, President of the Interprofessional Organization of Spanish Olive Oil, and President of AMAT, the Association of Mutual Insurance Companies for Occupational Accidents. From 1997 to 2007, he was a member of the European Union’s Economic and Social Committee. Born in Calzada de Calatrava, Ciudad Real, in 1959, he owns and manages a farm comprising cereals, livestock and agrotourism activities, with olive groves also forming part of his agricultural operations. Pedro Barato Triguero holds a Law degree from the University of Córdoba. He has also been awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Agricultural, Fisheries and Food Merit by the Government of Spain.
Florentin BERCU has served as Cogeca Vice-President since 2023 and Executive Manager of UNCSV since 2018. He is a founding member of the Agricultural Cooperative Armonia Munteni Buzau since 2021 and the executive director of UNCSV(member of the Alliance for Agriculture and Cooperation in Romania), since 2018. He comes from South East Romania, and has been a farming enthusiast since childhood. Florentin has always been a fervent defender of the associative and cooperative model of agriculture in his country. Florentin holds a doctoral and postdoctoral degree in which he analyzed the social and economic activity of modern agricultural cooperatives.
Since 2002, Agnieszka Maliszewska has driven the organisation of the International Dairy Community Forum, which gathers global experts, politicians, and diplomats. In 2008, she spearheaded the establishment of the Polish Chamber of Milk and has served as its Office Director since. As of 2019, Agnieszka acts as First Vice-President of Cogeca, and a member of the EFSCM since 2022. In 2013, she was awarded the Silver Cross of Merit by the President of Poland. In 2015, she received the Award of Honour for Merit in Economic Development of the Republic of Poland from the Minister of Economy. In 2021, she made history as the first Polish woman to be appointed a Knight of the Order of Agricultural Merit by the French Minister of Agriculture and Food.
Martin Heydon is Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine, a position he has held since 23 January 2025.
Prior to this, he served as Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for Research and Development, Farm Safety and New Market Development, having been appointed to that role in July 2020.
He has represented the Kildare South constituency as a TD since first being elected in 2011. From 2016 to 2020, he served as Chairman of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party. He has also served on a number of Oireachtas Committees, including those dealing with agriculture, climate action, arts, heritage, regional and rural affairs, Gaeltacht affairs and petitions.
A native of South Kildare, Martin Heydon lives on his family farm with his wife and four children. He is a former pupil of Kildalton Agricultural College.
Biography source: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Government of Ireland
Photograph credit: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Government of Ireland
Jessika Roswall is European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, a position she has held since 2024. Her responsibilities include protecting Europe’s natural environment, strengthening water resilience and supporting the transition towards a more competitive circular economy. Her portfolio also covers biodiversity, zero pollution, sustainable products, the bioeconomy and the implementation of EU environmental legislation.
Prior to joining the European Commission, she served as Sweden’s Minister for EU Affairs from 2022 to 2024. She was a Member of the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag) from 2010 to 2022 and served as Second Vice-President of its EU Committee between 2019 and 2022. She also held a number of other public responsibilities in Sweden, including positions within the County Administrative Board of Uppsala County and the Swedish Consumer Agency.
Earlier in her career, Jessika Roswall worked as a lawyer and attorney at Wigert & Placht AB from 2002 to 2010.
Biography source: European Commission
Photograph credit: © European Union, European Commission
Tassos (Anastassios) Haniotis is a senior agricultural economist, member of the Forum for the Future of Agriculture’s Advisory Council and Senior Guest Research Scholar at IIASA. He spent roughly three decades in the European Commission, most recently as Director for Strategy and Policy Analysis in DG AGRI, after roles including Deputy Head of Cabinet to Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler and Agricultural Counsellor in the Commission’s U.S. delegation. His expertise spans Common Agricultural Policy reform, agricultural markets, trade, economic analysis and sustainable productivity. Haniotis holds a BA in Economics from Athens University of Economics and Business and MSc and PhD degrees in Agricultural Economics from the University of Georgia, US. He has also been recognised as a Fellow of the European Association of Agricultural Economists.
Bernard Valluis, agro-economist (INA-Paris) is currently President of the European Food Banks Federation (FEBA), associated expert of the think tank AgriDées and he is an experienced agri and food-sector and agricultural-policy. He previously served notably as CEO of the french corn growers association (AGPM 1978-1990) and more recently as President of European Flour Millers of wich he is still Honorary President, with an extensive experience in cereals, milling, food-industry policy and food security. He is member of the European Board on Agriculture and Food, and expert of the European Food Security Crisis preparedness and response Mechanism (EFSCM).
Monika Tothova is a Senior Economist in the Markets and Trade Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and serves as Secretary of the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS), a G20 initiative to enhance transparency in global food commodity markets and support policy coordination during periods of market uncertainty. She works on global agricultural commodity markets and trade, contributing to FAO's analysis and monitoring of international market developments. In her current role, she engages with governments, international organizations and private-sector stakeholders on issues related to agricultural markets, trade and market transparency. Her work focuses on improving understanding of market developments and risks affecting global agricultural trade and food systems.
Since 2020, Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle has served as Director-General at the Secretariat of the European Council, overseeing veterinary issues, plant health, food, and forestry. She was previously Deputy Director of the Cabinet of the European Commissioner for Agriculture, and was Ministerial Delegate to the Minister of Agriculture and Food. With 30 years of experience in agriculture, rural development, food systems, and nutrition, Catherine has a deep understanding of public policies and standards, as well as scientific and technical expertise in these fields. She is a key player in the European and international arenas, and held leadership and management positions at organisations such as the FAO, WHO, WTO, and OECD.
Victor Negrescu has served as Vice-President of the European Parliament since 2024. A Member of the European Parliament for several terms, he has held a range of responsibilities, including Quaestor, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education and general rapporteur for the European Union’s 2025 budget. In the current parliamentary term, he serves on the Committees on Budgets, Legal Affairs and Public Health. Before returning to the European Parliament in 2020, he served as Romania’s Minister-Delegate for European Affairs from 2017 to 2018, with responsibility for preparations for Romania’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and subsequently as Vice-Rector of the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA) in Bucharest. Alongside his political career, he has maintained a strong academic profile as a university lecturer and has contributed to the development of academic programmes and institutes focusing on international cooperation, development, security and digital policy. Victor Negrescu holds a doctorate in political science specialising in international relations and European studies from SNSPA, an MBA, and a master’s degree in European and international affairs. He also completed a period of academic research at the College of Europe in Bruges. Biography source: European Parliament Photograph credit: © European Union – Source: European Parliament
Eduardo Baamonde Noche is President of Cajamar Caja Rural, Spain’s largest rural co-operative bank and a major financial institution for the agri-food sector. First elected President in 2016, he was subsequently re-elected to lead the institution for a further term. Before joining Cajamar’s leadership, Baamonde spent much of his career in Spain’s agri-food co-operative movement, joining the national confederation in 1992 and later directing its Brussels office. His expertise encompasses agricultural finance, co-operative governance, EU affairs and agri-food competitiveness. He is an agricultural engineer and holds a master’s degree in European Communities from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. His career links producer co-operatives, EU representation and specialised rural banking.
Joby Young is the Executive Vice President of the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF). He leads the AFBF staff, managing across all departments to achieve the goals of the President and Board of Directors and fulfil AFBF’s mission. Joby has fifteen years of experience in food and agricultural policy, including leadership positions in the United States Congress and the Executive Branch. He served as Chief of Staff to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, after previously serving in the same role for the Deputy Secretary and several offices within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). He also previously served as Chief of Staff in the U.S. House of Representatives and as a consultant in the private sector. Joby is a graduate of the University of Georgia, with degrees in History and Communications, and holds a law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law. He is also a civil affairs officer in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Enrico Letta served as Prime Minister of Italy from 2013 to 2014. Currently, he is the Dean of the IE School of Politics, Economics, and Global Affairs at IE University, President of the Jacques Delors Institute and President of AREL. In September 2023 the European institutions tasked him with the elaboration of a Report on the Future of the Single Market. From March 2021 to February 2023, he was the National Secretary of the Democratic Party in Italy. Prior to that, from 2015 to 2021, he was Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po Paris. In 2019, he was appointed President of the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA) for a two-year term. Earlier in his career, Letta served as Minister for EU Affairs (1998–1999), Minister for Industry, Trade and Crafts (2000), Minister for Industry and Foreign Trade (2000–2001), and Undersecretary of State to Prime Minister Romano Prodi (2006–2008).
Damien O’Reilly joined ICOS as EU Affairs and Communications Manager in November 2022. Damien runs the ICOS Brussels office and works on EU policy developments relevant to ICOS members. He is also Chair of the Cooperative Coordination Committee of Cogeca. Previously, he spent 24 years as a broadcast journalist with RTÉ Radio 1. Before leaving the media, Damien presented Countrywide, an award-winning farming, food and rural affairs programme, and worked across news, sport and current affairs. Damien is a co-founder member of the European Network of Agricultural Journalists.
Visits organised by LRF
* The visits cost 50 € per person and will be included in the registration fee.
North:
Estimated arrival at Arlanda Airport at 3:45 p.m. and at the Congress Hotel at 4:30 p.m.
West:
Estimated arrival at Arlanda Airport at 3:45 p.m. and at the Congress Hotel at 4:30 p.m.
South:
Estimated arrival at the Congress Hotel at 4:45 p.m. Please observe that this tour does not stop at Arlanda Airport.
The Congress Farm Visits will provide participants with a practical insight into Swedish agriculture through three technical tours showcasing a range of farming systems, technologies and approaches to sustainable land management. The visits will enable participants to exchange directly with farmers and explore how innovation, diversification, resource efficiency, digital technologies and resilient production systems are being applied in practice across Swedish farms.
