The Agri-Food Chain Coalition (AFCC) has appointed Roxane Feller, secretary general of IFAH-Europe (International Federation of Animal Health-Europe) as its new chair. She will lead this multi-stakeholder group throughout 2017 to enhance understanding of the European agri-food chain sector’s important role and contribution to an innovative and sustainable Europe.
In 2017, 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. “The AFCC has been working to increase awareness of the fundamental role of innovation in agriculture at EU level, but what we still need is a change of mind-set to fully embed a pro-innovation attitude and consequent policy approach. Only then will we unlock the full potential of our innovation capacity and generate the desired benefits for farmers, industries, consumers and society at large,” Feller said.
The AFCC launched its new website, https://agrifoodchaincoalition.eu/, to enhance its visibility, and provide all information about the AFCC’s goal and scope, and a quick access to relevant news and events.
“2016 has been an important year for the AFCC and the new website and communication efforts will allow the coalition to better present its challenges and opportunities. Together, the AFCC associations account for more than 30 million jobs and some 3.5 percent of the EU’s gross value added,” said Garlich von Essen, secretary general of the European Seed Association (ESA), at the helm of the coalition in 2016.
Speaking on behalf of AFCC members, Feller said: “Mr. von Essen has been a fantastic leader for all of us. I would like to thank him for his personal commitment to making the AFCC a thriving coalition. I will work together with all the coalition members to advance our common agenda in 2017, and to enhance the recognition of the European agricultural and food sectors’ key role and societal impact.”
