Category: Strategic Initiatives

The “Promoting Small-Scale Aquaculture Sustainability in Southeast Mediterranean” program was successfully completed with the goal of enhancing sustainability and business development for small-scale aquaculture in the wider Southeast Mediterranean region. Through a comprehensive educational framework, the program aimed to support and empower producers from five countries: Egypt, Algeria, Lebanon, Morocco, and Tunisia. The participants were selected through an international competition and had the opportunity to engage in a series of educational activities combining theory with practical application.

The training program included an intensive ten-day workshop held in Greece, where participants were trained on key topics such as innovation, business development, technological trends, and sustainability. By attending educational seminars and visiting model aquaculture units, participants gained new knowledge and skills to improve their businesses. The program also provided 100 hours of personalized consulting from industry experts to ensure the practical implementation of these skills and foster the sustainable development of their enterprises.

The inaugural event for the program was held at the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens, attracting international attention from the aquaculture sector. The event was opened by prominent figures, including Maria Damanaki, former European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Houssam Hamza from the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), and Effie Lazaridou, CEO, NANG.

The speakers emphasized the vital role of small-scale aquaculture in the Mediterranean diet, food security, and environmental footprint reduction. They also highlighted the need for support and modernization in the sector through new technologies and sustainability practices, enabling small businesses to remain competitive in an evolving market.

The program not only contributed to skills development but also strengthened collaborations between research institutions, professionals, and international organizations. Greece’s selection as the central hub for implementing this important initiative underscores the country’s leading role in aquaculture and the promotion of sustainable food production from aquatic ecosystems.

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The Greek Agri-Food Supply Chain

Increased competition, the need to differentiate Greek agricultural products, and the obligations to comply with hygiene standards and certifications require the immediate reorganization of the agricultural supply chain in our country. This reorganization can serve as a lever for the development of the primary sector.

Additionally, due to the added challenges globally posed by the pandemic, it is imperative to study and reshape the Agrologistics sector to make the supply chain sustainable, enhance farmers’ income, ensure food security, and reduce the environmental footprint.

Research on Agrologistics in Greece

The organization “New Agriculture New Generation” has undertaken the initiative to conduct a study on the agri-food supply chain (agrologistics) in collaboration with the National Center for Research and Technological Development (EKETA), the University of Piraeus Research Center (KEPP), the Institute of Port Training “Exantas,” and the Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Technology (CAIT) at Rutgers University, USA.

The recent study analyzes the current state of the agri-food supply chain in our country and highlights the needs and prospects of the sector.

You can read the related study here.

Agrologistics Conference

The organization “New Agriculture New Generation” is organizing an online conference titled: “Agrologistics: Challenges & Prospects in Greece” in collaboration with the National Center for Research and Technological Development (EKETA), the University of Piraeus Research Center (KEPP), the Institute of Port Training “Exantas,” and the Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) at Rutgers University, USA.

This online conference will take place on June 7, 2021 (16:30 – 18:30) on the occasion of presenting the conclusions of a relevant study on the Greek agri-food supply chain conducted by the aforementioned bodies.

The conference will present the conclusions of the study and highlight new developments, best practices, and challenges in the sector, both in Greece and abroad. It will also serve as a platform to discuss the prospects of reorganization and development of the agri-food supply chain as well as the existing needs for training and education in the field.

The conference will feature the study contributors as well as high-ranking officials and experts from leading institutions and organizations in Greece and abroad, such as the Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (FAS/USDA), the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Rutgers University, the U.S. Embassy in Greece, and others.

The dramatic impacts of storm “Daniel” in Thessaly, the heart of rural Greece, was an event that truly shocked our country. “Daniel” caused unprecedented destruction to infrastructure, crops, and the properties of the area’s residents, who are essentially called upon to rebuild their lives from scratch.

New Agriculture New Generation, having strong ties with the people of the agrifood sector, as part of a series of initiatives to support those affected, issued an invitation to its network of partners to participate in the collective publication titled: After the Storm: Steps for Reconstructing the Agri-Food Sector of Thessaly in the Wake of “Daniel”.

Our goal is for this publication to serve as a platform for leaders, experts, and professionals in the sector to share their proposals regarding the necessary actions that need to be taken to rebuild the productive fabric of the Thessalian plain and set it on a path to recovery.

This document does not replace the studies and research that need to be conducted. However, it provides directions and significant ideas that can be utilized.

After the Storm: Steps for Reconstructing the Agri-Food Sector of Thessaly in the Wake of “Daniel” (pdf in Greek)

The program leveraging its significant know-how and networking with stakeholders, organizes cutting-edge conferences in the agri-food sector.

PAST CONFERENCES

31/1/2020: New Agriculture – New Cooperatives. Towards a new paradigm of collaboration for the new generation. 

The program “New Agriculture for a New Generation” in collaboration with HELEXPO and under the auspices of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, co-organized in the framework of the 28th Agrotica (January 31, 2020), the conference “New Agriculture – New Cooperatives. Towards a new paradigm of collaboration for the new generation”.

Greek and foreign experts, from Europe and the United States, partners and researchers, shared knowledge and experiences in order to form a new platform for designing competitive cooperative schemes, which through their operation will be tools of development for the industry and the country as a whole.

The use of plastics in agriculture is extensive since they are used in various instances. Pollution caused by agricultural plastics is one of the biggest challenges as currently only about 10 percent of farm plastics are recycled worldwide.

The situation in Greece is characterized by deficiencies in the recording of quantities produced and used, while disposal on the ground and open fire are the dominant management practice, with the remaining farm plastic waste ending up in landfills.

EU regulations are -and will continue to do so- imposing strict rules for the protection of the environment. The Green Deal is already tapping into these issues. Developments will have direct impact both on agricultural practices and the ability of agrifood businesses to receive subsidies. They are already affecting the competitiveness of producers ability to do business abroad.

New Agriculture for a New Generation has embarked upon a nation-wide effort around responsible waste management of farm plastics.

Our goals are:

• to support young farmers in ensuring their future business competitiveness and
• to showcase that the agricultural sector can be part of the solution for the environment.

To this end, in a joint initiative with the Athanassios Laskaridis Charitable Foundation (ALCF) and with the support of the Hellenic Crop Protection Association (HCPA) we have organized a working meeting titled “Plastics in Agriculture” on December 9, 2019 in Athens. At the meeting, all new developments and concerns in the field of farm plastics were presented and discussed by experts and institutional representatives from Greece and abroad, as well as representatives of the ministries and recycling companies. It was made clear that, although the problem has been documented, there is no proper planning to address farm plastic waste.

As a next step, the “New Agriculture for a New Generation” program has commissioned an exoert environmentalist, Mrs Christina Kontaxi to conduct research on the use of farm plastics in Greece and come up with a brief report on the situation in the country and the EU regulatory framework, as an initial mapping tool in order to find solutions for farm plastics waste.

Based on the above, the “New Agriculture for the New Generation” program undertook the initiative to implement a pilot program for responsible waste management of farm plastics.

This program will include:

• Information and awareness raising activities
• Pilot scheme for collection, transportation and recycling management of empty pesticide containers

This initiative will be implemented in collaboration with the Hellenic Crop Protection Association and with the support of Athanassios Laskaridis Charitable Foundation, Captain Vasillis and Carmen Constantakopoulos Foundation and the Ministry of Rural Development and Food.

The program “New Agriculture for a New Generation” facilitates the discussion and collaboration among key players and connects the dots between the users, recyclers, policy makers and institutional actors.