On June 5 & 6, 2025, in Xanthi, the two-day conference took place with the themes: "Water Resource Management & Climate Resilience in Agrifood" and "Innovative Pest Control & Environment, within the framework of the InnoPP Flagship Action," in celebration of World Environment Day.

 

The conference, organized by the Democritus University of Thrace, the leading partner of EIT Food Hub Greece and DigiAgriFood, the Agrifood Partnership of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, and the Innovative Pest Control project within the InnoPP flagship action, highlighted critical sustainability issues in the agrifood sector and served as a meeting point for representatives from academia, industry, and innovation.

Participation of EIT Food Hub Greece

EIT Food Hub Greece presented the "Regenerative Agriculture" Panel, with Paraskevi Somalou, Project Manager of EIT Food Hub Greece, serving as the coordinator.

 

Among the topics discussed were regenerative agriculture as a means to enhance sustainability and its integration into the European agrifood system. The panel featured important speeches and presentations from:
 
  • Amparo de San José Riestra, Head of Network and Business Development South Europe at EIT Food, emphasized the importance of agriculture as a central pillar for achieving sustainable development. She highlighted the role of innovation and network collaboration in promoting sustainable practices that contribute to environmental protection and strengthen the agrifood chain.
  • Christina Doliannidi, EIT Community Officer at EIT Community Hub Greece, presented the role of EIT Community Hub Greece as a bridge for collaboration and innovation, strengthening the regional innovation ecosystem in Greece through the collaboration of EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) in the country.
  • Assoc. Prof. Michalis Orfanoudakis (DUTH) shared innovative initiatives for sustainable agricultural practices and provided practical recommendations for farmers on improving soil health and crop resilience.
  • Ο Αν. Καθ. Μιχάλης Ορφανουδάκης (ΔΠΘ) μοιράστηκε καινοτόμες πρωτοβουλίες για βιώσιμες γεωργικές πρακτικές και έδωσε πρακτικές συστάσεις στους αγρότες για βελτίωση της υγείας του εδάφους και ανθεκτικότητα των καλλιεργειών.
  • Finally, Darmos Sayla, representative of Regenerative Farming Greece, analyzed the organization's pillars, presented successful pilot farms, and discussed the collaboration with EIT Food in the "Regenerative Agriculture in Practice" program.
 
On the second day of the conference, a presentation of EIT Food Hub Greece was made by Paraskevi Somalou, Project Manager representing EIT Food Hub in Greece and PhD candidate at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at DUTH.

 

The presentation focused on the work, mission, and participation opportunities offered by EIT Food, the largest Knowledge and Innovation Community in the food sector in Europe.

 

Also presented were the open calls and programs of EIT Food, which enhance innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainability at the local and European level.

 

Watch the two-day conference again through the livestream broadcasts: