2nd EPP European Congress of Young Farmers: The project of the Hungarian young farmer Dániel Bakó won the Most Sustainable award

The project of the Dutch young farmer Eric Pelleboer won the Best Young Farmer award. Eric presented an online platform http://heteetcafe.eu/  where farmers and citizens can meet. Most people in the Netherlands live in the city, and know less and less about their food. This online platform therefore creates a link between the producers and the consumers.

The Dutch EPP Group MEP Esther de Lange, acting as ambassador for the winners stated “I am very proud of the Dutch young farmers winning the top prize is recognition of their skills. This Congress establishes a dialogue between young farmers across Europe that allows them to face together the challenges of the future of agriculture in Europe.”

The project of the Spanish young farmer Pedro Gallardo won the Most Innovative award. Pedro pioneered a different way of planting sunflower seeds, allowing him to do it very early in the year and also permitting him to increase the density of seed per hectare from 70.000 to 110.000.

The Spanish EPP Group MEP Auxiliadora Correa Zamora, co-organiser of the event and ambassador for the winners, stated that “I am very proud of the Spanish winner and also of this 2^nd Congress. The EPP Group is aware of the responsibility it has towards young farmers. These 350 young farmers that we gathered in this congress will play a leading role in innovating European agriculture and this Congress is a perfect stage for exchanging views, debating ideas and finding solutions.”

The project of the Hungarian young farmer Dániel Bakó won the Most Sustainable award. Dániel presented a different way of producing paprika in special politubes designed by him with a shape that allows the nesting of local species whilst using geothermic energy.

The Hungarian EPP Group MEP Glattefelder Béla, acting as ambassador for the winners, added “I am very proud of the Hungarian winner. I am president of the platform of renewable energy in Hungary. One of our most important members is the Geothermal Association and we are proud to see an award that involves the use of this type of energy in agriculture.”

Portuguese MEP Nuno Melo, co-organiser of the event, concludes  “the food autonomy guaranteed by the Common Agricultural Policy is one of the greatest successes of the European construction process, uniting peoples, creating wealth, jobs and organising the territory. Through this Congress we are contributing to the future of agriculture in Europe by gathering young people that share innovative, sustainable and the best ideas in the sector.”