More than 150 professionals attended the Oilseed Congress Europe/MENA from 9 to 10 February, where discussions focused on the global overview of the main challenges and trends of the oilseed complex in Europe and the Middle East/North Africa.
One of the key speakers at the Congress, Thomas Mielke, director of OIL WORLD, said “we have probably seen the low for soy in the last few weeks,” while also reporting that in the past 16 years, soybean production almost doubled to 312 Mn T (now 60 percent of all oilseeds). Additionally he said that in 2014 production of biodiesels exceeded expectations and rose 2.3 Mn T to 29.2 Mn T. “While the global oilseed stocks/usage ration is set to increase further in 2014/15, stocks of oils and fats relative to usage will be declining; meal prices are overvalued, and vegetable oil prices will appreciate,” Mielke reported.
Oilseed Congress attendees were invited to participate in the overview of Oil Markets panel, with the moderator Jorge de Saja, general manager of AFOEX (National Association for the Advancement of companies Oilseed and Extraction), and José Angel Olivero Garcia, sales director at LIPIDOS SANTIGA S.A.
Networking opportunities were plentiful for those in attendance from across the agribusiness value chain: importers and exporters, merchandisers and traders, service providers, and primary processors and downstream consumption markets in feed, food, biodiesel and industrial applications.
Nearly 80 women participated at the co-located Women in Agribusiness Summit Europe, 10-12 February 2015. “I really appreciated the fact that this was a solutions-oriented event that also brought up current trends in our market. Besides this, have you ever seen an agricultural event with only women? Me, never! I´m so happy I´m part of it!,” shared an executive from a food and beverage multinational company. “It was a great experience to see so many women connect and be enthusiastic and passionate about similar concerns as well as eager to actively participate in skills sessions for personal development,” said Joy O´Shaughnessy, director of both events from HighQuest Group.
Keynote speaker Michèle Mees, author of “The Balanced Leader” and co-founder of The Centre for Balanced Leadership, provided tips to increase the balancing of masculine and feminine energies in a company.
Mella Frewen, director general of FoodDrinkEurope, spoke on The Changing Food Consumer: The Role of Agribusiness in Meeting the Demands of Today’s End User.
Due to positive feedback received from the participants at both events, plans are being made to bring these European events to Barcelona again next year.
For more details about both events, visit www.oilseedcongress.com and www.womeninageurope.com
