COOPID, an H2020-funded project dedicated to advancing the bioeconomy in the agri-food sector across Europe held a successful stakeholder conference in Brussels at the end of last month.

The conference brought together industry experts, policymakers, primary producers, and stakeholders including John Brosnan of ICOS who was asked to take part in the round table discussion.

“If I had to define what co-operation is to our organisation, it is about joining forces between the private and public sector. Co-operation means co-creating knowledge together.” said Ana Ruiz Sierra, Programme Officer at the CBE-JU.

The COOPID Bioeconomy Conference showcased insightful sessions and engaging discussions, fostering a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the bioeconomy. “Thanks to COOPID, many primary producers have been successfully engaged in good practices within the bioeconomy through great success stories across Europe.” noted Colombe Warin, COOPID Project Officer.

The conference attracted primary producers, policymakers, agri-food cooperatives, organisations in the sector, EU projects, and industry-academia professionals from organisations such as: COPA-COGECA, DG Agri, CEJA, ENRD, CBE JU, FAO, or European Parliament…etc, among others. Attendees gained exclusive insights, engaged in fruitful debates, established valuable connections, and had access to the project exhibition, providing a comprehensive overview of the COOPID project’s outcomes.

The COOPID project is an EU funded project, coordinated by Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de España where 11 partners from 10 different countries take part. COOPID proposes an innovative and effective strategy to inspire primary producers and stimulate the uptake of inclusive and sustainable bio-based business models in the European primary production sector, considering regional & sectorial particularities.

John Brosnan who is the ICOS Bioeconomy Executive said: “This was a very insightful event with much of the discussion focussing on how co-operatives are the vehicle to drive the bioeconomy and benefits back to primary producers.

“I outlined my own recent work on the research side and in working towards co-operative led regional bioeconomy clusters and how we are working towards real bricks and mortar (or steel & aluminium) projects.”