On Monday 7 June 2021, the webinar “Agrologistics: Challenges & Prospects in Greece” was held, on the occasion of the publication of a sectoral study on the “Potential of Agrologistics in Greece”. The study has been funded by New Agriculture New Generation, a non-profit organization that supports youth career opportunities and entrepreneurship in the agrifood sector in Greece, established with the funding the support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), and was carried out in collaboration with the Center for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), the Research Center of the University of Piraeus, the “Exantas” Training Institute, and the Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation of Rutgers University.
Greek youth the key to revitalize the agri-food sector
The promotion of the competitive advantages of Greek agricultural products and the obligations to comply with international hygiene and certification standards, raise the need for an immediate reorganization of the supply chain of the agri-food sector in Greece. Furthermore, due to the additional challenges created globally by the pandemic, there is an urgent need to study and reshape the Agrologistics sector in order to make the supply chain sustainable, enhance producers’ income, ensure food security and reduce the environmental footprint.
The objective of the sectoral study on the potential of Agrologistics in Greece is threefold: examine the level of development of the sector in the country now and in the future; evaluate the potential of developing a network of Agrologistics hubs in the country with a focus on the creation of an Agrologistics Center in the region of Thessaloniki, in northern Greece; and identify skills gaps and shortages in the agribusiness industry, assess the sector’s attractiveness to young professionals and produce recommendations for the development of an agrosynergy training program to enhance the sector’s further development.
An international panel of experts
The discussion was attended by the authors of the study as well as by distinguished executives and experts from leading institutions and organizations in Greece and abroad, such as the Foreign Agricultural Service of the US Department of Agriculture (FAS/USDA), Rutgers University and the US Embassy in Greece.
