First International Conference on Organic Agriculture and Finance

Friday December 14th, as announced last week in Ecoalimenta, Palacio Municipal de Congresos de Madrid will be the site of the First International Conference on Organic Agriculture and Finance, a sector that continues to grow significantly throughout Europe and Spain as one of the main suppliers of raw materials to consumer markets, mainly in central and northern Europe, according to the Foundation of the ethical bank Triodos Bank, which organizes this event jointly with the Spanish Society of Organic Agriculture (SEAE).

According to the organization, and although the Spain occupies an important position as a second area under cultivation and number of licenses , ahead of Germany and only surpassed by Italy – 926,390 hectares and 19,211 registered operators – "the consumption of certified organic products is only 1% of the total food market in Spain."

It is estimated that spending on organic food in Spain is around six euros per capita, a far cry from the 105 euros in Switzerland, Germany and 42 euros in Italy or 26 euro Netherlands.

Meeting, which will examine in depth the situation of the sector and its financing needs, and successful experiences in Europe, is aimed at traders, producers, processors and distributors, etc. – linked to the business sector (from the point of sale to the suppliers of inputs, advice or certification), and consumers interested in helping to develop the sector through their money, savings, purchase or donation.

The opening event will be borne by the chairman of Triodos Foundation, Esteban Barroso, the president of SEAE, Juana Labrador, who accompany the deputy director general Food Quality and Organic Agriculture of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Clemente Mata, director general of the Biodiversity Foundation, María Artola, and CEO of Organic Agriculture of Andalusia, Manuel González de Molina.

Behind them, among others involved, the secretary of the Working Group on Organic Agriculture FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization), Nadia Scialabba, the head of the Program of Food Quality and Health, Louis Bolko Institute, Lucy van de Vijver, and the director general of the Egyptian group SEKEM, Helmy Abouleish.

To analyze the evolution of the international market for organic products will be the CEO of EOSTA, Volkert Engelsman. Following his presentation will be the turn of a panel discussion on specific financial products developed for the sector and on funding and saving in the United Kingdom, with the intervention of the director of Business Banking Triodos Bank UK, Gavin Smith.

Also make member of the Investment Commission Green Dutch Banking Association (NVB), Daniel Povel, and the director of Corporate Banking Triodos, Mikel Garcia-Prieto, and will present a study on the sector and funding requirements in Catalonia, by Paula Monroy, Master in Business Management and Marketing at ESADE.

The industry will also be represented by Natursoy or Ecocentro, which come along with such organizations as the Association Fitness, the Spanish Federation of Enterprises of organic products (FEPECO), which is a member of APECPAE, the Andalusian Federation of Organic Producers and Consumers (FACP) and WWF / Adena.

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