Qualification: 

PDE - Management Development Programme at AESE Business School
GAIN - Management of Agribusiness at AESE Business School
Market Driving Strategies at the London Business School
Bachelor of Agriculture at ESACB

Goncalo Santos Andrade has been representing the Portuguese F&V sector in more than 50 countries, in four different continents, during the last seven years. Four years ago, he joined the board of the Portuguese Farmers' Union where he was responsible  for all climate change and environmental issues. Apart from that he has 30 years of experience concerning the soft fruit industry and other fruit and vegetables products. In 2005 he founded Lusomorango, S.A. - the 1^st Berries Producer Organization in Portugal. From 2006 to 2008 he was the vice president of FNOP - Portuguese Federation of Producers Organizations. He is the fourth generation to run the family agricultural business Casa Prudencio.

Philippe Appeltans graduated in 1995 as an agricultural engineer at the Catholic University of Leuven. He started his professional career as a consultant for young farmers. In 1997 he was appointed as president of the Belgian young Farmers and became member of the Executive Board of Boerenbond, the Belgian Farmers' Union. In 2003 he became senior adviser for the horticultural sector in the research department of the Belgian Farmers' Union, and in 2007 Secretary general of VBT - The Association of Belgian Horticultural Cooperatives. From October 2016 until June 2019 he has been strongly involved in the European fresh produce sector and policy as the Chairman of the Copa-Cogeca Fruit and Vegetable Working Party. Since September 2018 he is the CEO of BelOrta, the largest Belgian cooperative in the fruit and vegetable sector with 1200 active growers, 500 employees and a turnover of more than 600 million Euros.

Pedro Barraco is 29 years old and has a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Food Engineering from the "Instituto de Agronomia" since 2019. In 2023 he attended the GAIN Sector Program - Management of Companies in the Agro-Food Chain at AESE Business School. He completed his Master's Thesis in the Horeca Sector, and since 2018 he has entered the world of distribution. In 2020 he joined Mercadona's External Relations Department in Portugal and is Director of the Agri-Food Chain, being the institutional  representative of the growing supermarket chain in Portugal with the main institutions in the Agri-Food Sector at national level.

Starting with her education in food engineering, she has always been working with issues related to agriculture and rural development whether it was at the public administration, milk laboratory or working on a farm with her parents. With a background like that starting at the Latvian Ministry of Agriculture, she joined the Commission in 2004 and held various positiions in the area of rural development (young farmers, farm business development). In 2019, she moved on within DG AGRI to become responsible for management of fruit and vegetables support. Since 2022, she is in charge of support provided to the fruit and vegetables sector within the framework of the CAP Strategic plans. 

Teresa Carvalho has developed her career in the fields of food innovation, nutrition, and public health. She currently is the coordinator of the Knowledge Division at Portugal Foods. Previously, she was technical advisor and nutritionist at the "Associacao Portuguesa de Nutricao (APN)". She holds a degree in Food Nutrition and a Master's degree in Biotechnology and Innovation of the "Escola Superior de Biotecnologia da Universidade Católica Portuguesa - ESB-UCP" (Biotechnology School of the Portuguese Catholic University). She also has a postgraduate degree in paediatric nutrition of the same institution.

Maarten De Moor graduated in 1990 as an agricultural engineer at the Catholic University of Leuven. Before starting his professional career, he graduated as Engineer in Industrial Management and obtained in 1996 a PhD in agricultural sciences at the same university. In 1995 he started his professional career as Secretary General of VBT, the association of Belgian Horticultural Cooperatives. From 1996 to 1998 he has been working as General Manager of a fruit cooperative. Since 1999 he is General Manager of LAVA cv, the recognised Association of Producer Organizations which groups the Producer Organizations BelOrta, Coöperatie Hoogstraten, REO Veiling and LTV. He also holds various management positions in sector-related companies.

Pompeu Dias currently is the Studies and Strategy Manager at CONSULAI. Their mission is to enhance the understanding of the agricultural sector to provide valuable insights for decision-making. Their work ranges from investment strategies and farm management to comprehensive sectorial studies aimed at positioning farmers, associations, and organizations more effectively in the market, as well as assisting their public policy sector. Pompeu Dias coordinates CONSULAI's Research Department, focusing on acquiring the most accurate and up-to-date data on agricultural markets, climate and soil modelling, and sector-specific technical information. He has a deep-rooted connection to rural areas where he also takes part in his family's farm management activities and he has a passion for the sustainability of agricultural businesses, where they play a vital role in promoting and preserving their territories. He holds a Master's Degree in Agricultural Engineering and a Postgraduate Degree in Agribusiness.

will follow soon...

"My heart beats for staff!"

I have been working with people and teams for over 25 years and have been responsible for 3,000 employees at the top. Many years of (management) expertise enable me to provide holistic advice on the entire HR process, from advertising, recruitment and planning to personnel development and the offboarding process (outplacement). Get to know trends in human resources, optimise your company in just a few steps and save a lot of time and money in the process.

Jeanette has been part of SydGrönt's management team and an employee since the company was founded in 1992.

SydGrönt applied to become a producer organization (PO) in 1996 and was approved in 1997. Today, SydGrönt is the largest PO in Sweden, with over 100 members and a wide variety of crops. In 2023, SydGrönt had a turnover of €188 million, with €93 million from member-grown, approved fruit and vegetables.

Joao Manuel Moura Rodrigues was born in Macao. He has a BSc in Animal Rearing, a degree in Agricultural Engineering and a MBA in Financial Management in SMEs. From 2000 - 2001 he was an agronomist in Baixo Mondego. In 2001 he became a public official and was councillor at Ourém city hall. In 2002, he interrupted his municipal career to become a Member of Parliament (from 2002 - 2004). From 2005 - 2009 he was again councillor at Ourém city hall tasked with education, social action, youth, the environment, and civil protection. From 2009 - 2016 he worked as business administrator and teacher in the private sector. He was Mayo of Ourém since 2017. From 2019 - 2024, he was Member of Parliament (three Governments), where he ws Vice-Chair of the Social Democratic Party's Parliamentary Group and member of the Agriculture Parliamentary Committee.

Olle Olofsson, MSc Business Administration, MSc Agriculture Economics, Business Partner and CCO for Food Tech company Saveggy AB in Lund, Sweden. Since 2020 Saveggy has been developing a coating solution for reducing foodwaste and plastic packaging on fruits and vegetables. In 2024 the first test launch in Sweden has started with focus on reducing waste and reducing plastic on cucumbers. Olle was the former MD of the Swedish PO Svenska Odlarlaget, for more than 20 years and has been supporting and joining the ICOP events since the start in its early years 2006/2007. Olle is working part time with Saveggy in his own consultant company and is more generally focusing on assignments within sustainability, business development, recruiting (IMD International Search Group and Lisberg Executive Search) and organizational restructuring that is needed for sustainable business practices. With a background in Agri-/Horti-Transaction Cost Economics and Fresh Produce he is committed to green production and dedicated to promoting sustainable business and enterprises on the global stage.

Sasa Paprika developed his professional career in the field of agriculture and gained his PhD in 2015 at the University of Zagreb, Croatia. He currently is employed at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of the Republic of Croatia as the Head of the Department for Producer Organizations and Horticulture. He is an expert with more than 20 years of work experience, thereof ten years in the field of transposition, implementation of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy in Croatia. Since 2015 he has been actively participating as a Croatian  delegate in the work of the few EC Committees within the CAP Pillar I CMO. Apart from that he has been taking part in several TAIEX missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro and supported administration of the Republic of North Macedonia in line with their preparation for accession talks in Chapter 11.

Nuno Passadinhas is a seasoned retail professional with more than 25 years of experience specialising in the supply chain management of fresh produce. His career at major retailers such as Carrefour, Sonae Modelo Continente and Auchan Retail has equipped him with a deep understanding of the complexities involved in bringing fresh products from farm to table. With a background in Food Engineering he works to optimize supply chains, to improve product quality, and to strengthen relationships with producers aligned with the vision of Auchan Retail "Eat well and live better while preserving the planet". 

Daniel Ribeiro, currently is Partner and CEO of Hidrosoph, a company he co-founded in 2008. He has been working in agronomic and environmental projects in several countries since he graduated in Plant applied Biology, Plant Physiology at the Lisbon University. He contributes to the projects with his large experience in his main areas of expertise: water management, agronomy, environmental impact assessment and sustainability. Hidrosoph focuses on designing, developing and implementing water management projects to optimize farming operations and performance, starting from water management perspective to overall performance and sustainability.

Cindy van Rijswick is a Global Strategist for Fresh Produce within Rabobank's worldwide Food & Agribusiness Research team. She is responsible of setting and executing the research agenda. During her over two decades long career span, Cindy has published reports on a range of topics, from sustainability in fresh produce to the greenhouse sector to the global berry sector. Moreover, she regularly acts as a keynote speaker at (international) conferences. Her analyses and visions are instrumental for Rabobank's activities and clients in the food & agribusiness.

Passionate about the agricultural sector, to which he has dedicated several years of his professional life, Joel Vasconcelos has a degree in history and a background in the management of companies in the agri-food chain.

With an interest and work developed in the area of pedagogy, he has been the coordinator and executive director of two professional schools, and has held various positions in different Governments of the Portuguese Republic. Namely he was deputy to the Prime Minister and chief of staff and deputy to various members of the Government in the area of agriculture. Since 2023, he has been the director-general of Lusomorango. This is a role he has taken on with the ambition of making the Producers' Organization grow and realise its potential, particularly in the Odemira region, a territory that - he believes - deserves and has the conditions to prosper.