New Leadership for the European Agri-Food Chain Coalition
Brussels, 20 February 2019: The Agri-Food Chain Coalition (AFCC) appointed Jacob Hansen, Director General of Fertilizers Europe as its new Chair. Jacob is picking up the chairmanship from European Crop Protection Association’s (ECPA) Director General, Jean-Philippe Azoulay. He will continue to lead the multi-stakeholder group throughout 2019 to enhance understanding of the European agri-food chain sector’s important role and contribution to an innovative and sustainable Europe in light of the new EU parliament.
In 2018, under the chairmanship of ECPA, the AFCC held an event in the European Parliament to look at the contribution of the agri-food chain to achieving the SDGs. The AFCC partners have been proud to showcase innovative solutions supporting a more sustainable agri-food sector, trying to address challenges such as climate change and the growing population, while meeting society’s food demands and preserving the environment and natural resources.
The AFCC partners are aware of the fact that sustainability is not a solo journey but rather a common effort towards shared goals. With this in mind, the AFCC partners have developed the new publication: How innovation contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals.
In 2019, under the chairmanship of Fertilizers Europe, the AFCC will continue to build an agenda, based on its vision paper of 2014, to create a greater recognition of the role of research and innovation in providing a secure and safe food supply in a sustainable manner, and to encourage the EU to put innovation at the heart of its agri-food policy.
Speaking on behalf of AFCC, Jean-Philippe Azoulay said ‘Chairing the Agri Food Chain Coalition was exciting. It was great to show the contribution our industries make to the SDGs. We can all take pride in our progress, recognizing that it is a never-ending journey and that much still has to be improved. With the chair now moving to Jacob at Fertilizers Europe, I am confident we will continue on this journey over the new legislature.”
“I am excited to see how we as a coalition will develop further in the coming year. Ensuring high quality nutritious food for European citizens while preserving natural resources and reducing GHG emissions is not an easy task. Solutions can be find through collaboration and common efforts. I am happy to see that there is high commitment from players in our sector” said Jacob Hansen.
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- Download the new publication: How innovation contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals
- On Twitter: #AgriFoodEU