CDEU Event

CEO, Head of Research at IFAU Institute for Food Studies & Agro-Industrial Development, Denmark

Karen holds a Masters’ Degree from the University of Copenhagen and has more than 25 years of experience in business development and innovation in the food sector. Karen has supported businesses, NGOs and government institutions with innovation activities, business development, and marketing issues including sustainability work.

Assoc. professor, Chair of Organic Food of the Institute of Human Nutrition Sciences at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Poland

Assoc. professor, Chair of Organic Food of the Institute of Human Nutrition Sciences at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Poland Kazimierczak’s main research interests focus on organic and conventional production impact on the quality of food and its health-related aspects. She is a member of the board of the Association Forum of Organic Farming named Mieczysław Górny. Furthermore, she is involved in projects concerning organic vs. conventional food, sustainable food systems and sustainable public procurement (including the StratKIT project) as well as the Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership programs.

Food Educator and Food and Health Researcher

Rita Góralska-Walczak holds a Master of Science (MSc) and is a food educator, researcher and lecturer in food and health. Góralska-Walczak has a diverse educational background in the areas of philology, English, and art history from several universities in different countries, and holds degrees in food and health, and food innovation. Until recently, she worked in Italy as an educational director within the areas of sustainable agriculture and Mediterranean diet but is now at Warsaw University of Life Sciences in Poland to work with – among other things - the StratKIT project.

Head of Farm to Fork strategy Unit at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG Sante)

Alexandra Nikolakopoulou joined the European Commission in 2003. Nowadays, she serves as Head of Unit for 'Farm to Fork Strategy' in the Food sustainability, international relations Directorate. She has been leading the work for the adoption the EU Farm to Fork Strategy. Her Unit is coordinating the implementation of the Farm to Fork Strategy. Throughout her career in DG SANTE she has been dealing with issues relating to health claims, food supplements, foods for specific groups, food labelling and general food law, including the Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of Food Information to Consumers and the new Transparency Regulation. She graduated in law at the University of Athens and completed her DEA in European law at the University of Toulouse. After three years working for the legal Unit of the European Commission's Consumer Protection Directorate General, she joined EuroCommerce, the European Association of retail and wholesale companies, where she worked as a food law advisor.

Head of Brussels Office, ICLEI and ICLEI's Global Food Program Coordinator

Peter is an urban sustainability expert with over 15 years of experience with ICLEI, specializing in sustainable food consumption and production, with a particular focus on food procurement. As ICLEI's Global Food Program Coordinator Peter has worked jointly with the ICLEI World Secretariat and Regional Offices around the globe and manages the CITYFOOD network of cities and regions on resilient city-region food systems. Peter holds a law degree from the Universities of Rome and Innsbruck and a Master degree in Human Rights and Democracy in the Mediterranean. ICLEI works with local governments committed to sustainable development and the Brussels Office represents ICLEI’s work vis-à-vis EU institutions and many other stakeholders involved in formulating EU policies and strategies.

StratKIT Communication Manager, Doctoral student, University of Helsinki

Urszula Ala-Karvia holds a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Economics from the University of Szczecin, Poland. In 2011, Ala-Karvia started working with European project administration and planning at the University of Helsinki Ruralia Institute. Since 2018, she has been involved in the coordination of the StratKIT project, particularly as the project’s Deputy Coordinator and Communication Manager. Her multidisciplinary research interests lie primarily in social sustainability and demographic changes in rural-urban areas.

StratKIT Project Coordinator, Researcher at Ruralia Institute, University of Helsinki

Leena Viitaharju is a researcher and project manager at the University of Helsinki, Ruralia Institute in Seinäjoki, Finland. Viitaharju has over 20 years of experience in both national and international research and development projects on topics such as food chains, sustainability, public procurement, and (eco)innovations. Her multidisciplinary research interests lie in alternative food chains, small business marketing and the green economy. Since 2018, she has been involved with the coordination of the StratKIT project.

Moderator, journalist, media expert

Chris Burns is a Franco-American journalist and media expert with more than 30 years of reporting experience in Europe, the U.S., Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East. During his career, Burns has covered everything from armed conflicts and election battles to natural disasters and film festivals. He has previously worked for Euronews, Bloomberg TV, and CNN. Furthermore, a professional moderator, Burns has moderated panels for the World Economic Forum, OECD, OSCE, United Nations, World Bank, and several EU institutions, including a Farm to Fork conference.

Permanent Secretary at the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Finland

Jaana has a background in veterinary microbiology. She started her career in Finland and later joined the EU, where she was Deputy Director-General of the European Commission's Health and Consumer Protection DG between 2002-2006. In 2012, Jaana became a member of the Management Board of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), where she was also holding the position of chair. Jaana is furthermore engaged in debates on transparency concerning sustainable farming and the food industry.

PerfectSeason, plant-based product supplier

Emil is CEO and co-founder of PerfectSeason. PerfectSeason produces plant-based products of an artisanal quality that are highly convenient to use. PerfectSeason's mission is to bring plants back in plant-based by only using whole unprocessed ingredients thereby bringing out the best in greens instead of imitating meat. Emil is a foodie with an ambition to change the world for the better.

Director of Lyceum No. 126, Sankt Petersburg, Russia

He graduated from St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University with a degree in organization management, completed professional training at the Higher School of Management of St. Petersburg State University. Since 2000, he worked as a teacher, then as a deputy director for education at gymnasium No. 470. Since 2006, he has led the work of the district resource centre at gymnasium No. 470. In 2009, he was appointed director of Lyceum No. 126, becoming the youngest school director in the city. In 2019, he was elected a deputy of the municipal council of municipality Finlandsy district.

Project Manager, agrathaer GmbH

Regine Berges works as a project manager with a focus on sustainable food systems at agrathaer GmbH. She is involved in national and international projects dealing with creating urban food hubs and other approaches of food system transformation, sustainable public meals and small-scale sustainability projects. Apart from project management, Regine mainly supports knowledge transfer activities and stakeholder interactions.

Managing Director of Baltic Restaurants Estonia AS

Aaro Lode is Managing Director of the largest catering company in Estonia, Baltic Restaurants Estonia AS (part of the Baltic Restaurants Group). Aaro has a bachelor's degree in business administration. Specialized in the field of catering he also gained extensive experience working as a chef in various restaurants in the UK and Estonia. This has taught him what it means to offer a good catering service. He has authored an Asian cuisine cookbook and various specialised cooking articles. From television performances and cooking shows, he has participated as a jury member selecting the best young chef in the Baltics. Aaro is deeply engaged in the greening of catering and food, and he takes an active role in guiding companies towards more sustainability.

Project Coordinator, Sustainable, Innovation and Circular Procurement at ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, European Secretariat

For the last 20 years, Amalia Ochoa Vidal has been working at the European branch of ICLEI, Local Governments for Sustainability. Since 2011, Ochoa has been a Project Coordinator, involved in and leading projects within the topics of sustainable economy and circular procurement.