Wednesday, April 4, 2012

The growth of the cooperative business model in the agricultural sector will be a key topic of discussion at the Summit: 10 expert speakers and many of the top agricultural cooperatives have already confirmed their attendance.

Thanks to the cooperative model, agricultural producers are able to take control of food processing and distribution, thereby decreasing their dependence on intermediaries and boosting their income. This is how agricultural cooperatives help producers become financially secure while also contributing to global food security.

Agricultural and agri-food cooperatives are experiencing worldwide success, making up nearly half of the entire cooperative movement and contributing to global food security. In an effort to help them grow and promote themselves, the Summit organizers will be making a special place for them, with 10 expert speakers from the agri-food sector.

The 10 confirmed speakers are:

• Won-Byong Choi - National Agricultural Cooperative Federation – NACF (South Korea)
• Leonardo Delgado - FEDECOVERA (Guatemala)
• Patrice Gollier - InVivo (France)
• Claude Lafleur - La Coop fédérée (Canada)
• José Hugo Lares Sierra - Triunfo Verde (Mexico)
• Yves Le Morvan - Coop de France (France)
• David Moroney - Co-operative Bulk Handling - CBH Group (Australia)
• Denis Richard - La Coop fédérée (Canada)
• Serge Riendeau - Agropur (Canada)
• Svend Erik Sørensen - Danish Crown (Denmark)

“Cooperatives have demonstrated their resilience in the face of numerous financial, social and environmental challenges,” says Stéphane Bertrand, the Summit's Executive Director. “The speakers we are announcing today will demonstrate this extraordinary capacity of cooperatives – from the biggest to the smallest.”

Featured in the photomontage (left to right, top to bottom): Won Byong-Choi, Patrice Golli, Denis Richard and Svend Erik Sørensen.