Speakers

Inaugural Conference

Maria Helena Semedo

Former Deputy Director General, FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)

Maria Helena Semedo

Former Deputy Director General, FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)

Maria Helena Semedo is an economist and politician from Cabo Verde. A leading expert in global development issues, she has helped shape a new global narrative where sustainable agrifood systems transformation is prominently recognized as a key solution in addressing increasingly complex issues – from climate change and biodiversity loss to urbanization and food security. With over two decades at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Semedo reinforced FAO’s position in the global arena as leader of international efforts to defeat hunger and poverty. As Deputy Director-General she spearheaded major impactful programmes such as One Health, FAO Green Cities Initiative and key corporate strategies for climate change, mainstreaming biodiversity across agricultural sectors, science and innovation. She also gained valuable experience and insight in Africa, first as FAO Representative in Niger (2003-2008), then as Deputy Regional Representative for Africa and Sub-regional Coordinator for West Africa (2008-2009) and Regional Representative for Africa (2009-2013). A great believer in multi-stakeholder dialogues, Semedo promotes innovative, inclusive approaches to build strategic and effective partnerships, private and public, that connect people, investments and solutions for action on the ground. As a firm advocate for women's empowerment, Semedo is recognized for fostering gender equity and social parity. Active in many international fora, she strives to give voice to women and girls, especially in rural areas. She was the first Chair of the FAO Women's Committee, helping build a more equitable and transparent workplace. Semedo has a Master’s in Economics from the Higher Institute of Economics and Management in Lisbon, Portugal.

Keynote speakers

Caterina Contini

Full Professor at the University of Florence

Caterina Contini

Full Professor at the University of Florence

Caterina Contini. Full Professor at the University of Florence. Her research explores the interplay between sustainability, market dynamics and consumer behaviour within agri-food systems. She is particularly interested in how psychological, cultural and contextual factors shape food choices and how these choices, in turn, influence environmental and economic outcomes

She has been involved in numerous national and international research projects, contributing expertise on sustainability assessment, consumer studies and policy implications. She currently leads the economic sustainability evaluation within the EU-funded LEGUMINOSE project, which promotes legume–cereal intercropping to enhance soil fertility and strengthen the resilience of farming systems. She also participates in the LIFE EU SHARKS initiative, dedicated to the conservation of sharks and rays in the Mediterranean and to the promotion of more sustainable fishing and marine management practices.

Caterina is the author of more than fifty peer-reviewed publications in international journals and serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief of Wine Economics and Policy as well as a member of the editorial board of Food Quality and Preference. At the University of Florence, she is Vice-President and Quality Delegate of the Food Technology degree programme, and a member of two PhD programme boards within the School of Agriculture. She also serves on the university’s Research Ethics Committee.

Pedro J. Rey

Full Professor of Ecology at the University of Jaen

Pedro J. Rey

Full Professor of Ecology at the University of Jaen

Pedro J. Rey is a Full Professor of Ecology at the University of Jaen. He is the principal investigator of the research team RNM-354 of Andalusia Regional Plan of Research, Development and Innovation and member of the scientific committees of Instituto Interuniversitario de Investigación del Sistema Tierra (IISTA) and the Observatory for the Global Change of the Subbetic Mountains Range. His research interest is in the ecology, evolution and dynamics of natural populations and communities in Mediterranean terrestrial ecosystems, as well as in biodiversity conservation and restoration in agroforest systems and fragmented landscapes, fields in which he has led many regional, national and international projects, published more than 200 papers and supervised numerous Ph. D. thesis.

He is the scientific director of the studies on biodiversity and ecosystem services in the LIFE projects "Olivares Vivos" and "Olivares Vivos+". In the last decade, he has published many papers on the biodiversity of olive groves in leading journals in the fields of Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation, which are providing fundamental cues for the conservation and restoration of its biodiversity and ecosystem services. He is involved in transferring this knowledge to other croplands of the Mediterranean region and to the scientific certification of biodiversity-friendly agrosystems models.

Simona Castaldi

Professor of Ecology at Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”. PhD and Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, UK.

Simona Castaldi

Professor of Ecology at Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”. PhD and Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, UK.

Professor of Ecology at Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”. PhD and Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, UK. Her research focuses are on ecosystem services in forests and agroecosystems, adaptation and sustainable land management, climate and global changes, sustainable food systems. She has coordinated research groups on these subjects in international frameworks (Horizon, FP4, FP6, FP7, COST, ERC, LIFE), national programs (PRIN, FISR, INGV). Winner 2025 of the LIFE AWARD for Climate Action with the project LIFE DESERT-ADAPT. Scientific advisor for for ISMEA, Rete Rurale del Ministero Politiche Agricole e Forestali, Ministero dell’Ambiente, Fondazione Barilla. Member of the National Council of WWF Italia.

Marilda Dhaskali

Head of Agriculture and Land Use Policy for BirdLife Europe and Central Asia

Session moderators

Francisco Valera

Scientific Researcher at the CSIC

Francisco Valera

Scientific Researcher at the CSIC

Scientific Researcher at the CSIC. My research has focused on studying interactions between organisms, considering a wide range of interactions at various levels of organization, the effect of the environment on the outcome of such relations, and the consequences of these interactions on biodiversity conservation. This variety of approaches aims to understand the ecological and evolutionary consequences of interactions between organisms through their effects on reproductive success. My current lines of work are: i) Harmonization of renewable energies and biodiversity conservation; ii) Agriculture and biodiversity conservation; iii) Parasite-host interactions; iv) Ecology of arid zones.

Georgios Koubouris

Research Director at the Olive Growing Laboratory in Hellenic Agricultural Organization ELGO-DIMITRA, Institute of Olive Tree, Subtropical Crops and Viticulture, Greece.

Georgios Koubouris

Research Director at the Olive Growing Laboratory in Hellenic Agricultural Organization ELGO-DIMITRA, Institute of Olive Tree, Subtropical Crops and Viticulture, Greece.

Georgios Koubouris Research Director at the Olive Growing Laboratory in Hellenic Agricultural Organization ELGO-DIMITRA, Institute of Olive Tree, Subtropical Crops and Viticulture, Greece. Published more than 95 papers in SCOPUS, participated in over 40 research projects and managed grants for over 3M€. The scientific leader of the project Oliveclima awarded as best project for climate action in Europe by the European Commission, LIFE, 2019. Executive Editor, Associate Editor, and member of the editorial boards of international scientific journals in Frontiers, Springer Nature, MDPI and others. Evaluator for EC and several countries. Invited expert by international organizations every year for the last decade.

Eva Murgado

Professor and researcher in the area of Marketing and Market Research, in the Department of Management, Marketing and Sociology. University of Jaén.

Eva Murgado

Professor and researcher in the area of Marketing and Market Research, in the Department of Management, Marketing and Sociology. University of Jaén.

Eva María Murgado-Armenteros University of Jaén, University Institute for Research on Olive Groves and Olive Oils, Spain, emurgado@ujaen.es She is a Professor and researcher in the area of Marketing and Market Research, in the Department of Management, Marketing and Sociology. She received the Extraordinary Doctorate Award and is Head of the MARKUJA research group (code SEJ-315). Her research focuses on agri-food marketing, pro-environmental consumer behavior and olive oil tourism. She has participated in 72 research projects and knowledge transfer contracts. She is co-author of 30 articles in indexed journals, 8 books, 15 book chapters and more than 80 contributions to national and international conferences. She has received 4 research awards. She served as Vice-Rector for Communication and Institutional Outreach at the University of Jaén (2017-2023).

Eva Hernández

Coordinator of the Environmental Governance Area of SEO/BirdLife

Eva Hernández

Coordinator of the Environmental Governance Area of SEO/BirdLife

Eva Hernández Jorge, a biologist from Madrid, has held positions of responsibility in various environmental organizations and institutions. She was responsible for the Habitats campaigns at Greenpeace Spain, leading actions aimed at protecting coastlines and waters, as well as coordinating the Oceans Campaigns for Greenpeace International, focused on the defense of mangroves.

At the Trade Union Institute for Work, Environment and Health (ISTAS) of the CCOO (Workers' Commissions), she served as Head of Environmental Training, coordinating sustainable development projects in Spain and Asia, preparing annual reports on the situation of forest fires in Spain, and participating in public participation processes in Protected Natural Areas.

At the consulting firm SalviaTeam, she contributed to the protection of coastlines and oceans from the impacts of seismic acquisition in the search for hydrocarbons, and to the protection of Marine Protected Areas.

She has also provided consulting services to the European Bureau for the Environment on the protection of water, soil, ecosystems and health from pesticides, with a special focus on countries in the Global South.

Panel discussion

José María Rey Benayas

Professor of Ecology. University of Alcalá de Henares

José María Rey Benayas

Professor of Ecology. University of Alcalá de Henares

He earned his PhD from the Autonomous University of Madrid in 1990; his dissertation received the Extraordinary Doctoral Award. He completed his postdoctoral studies at Northern Illinois University and GeoEcoArc Research (United States) on a Fulbright scholarship. He has been a professor at the University of Alcalá since 1994. He received the University of Alcalá's Research Excellence Award in 2019. His research focuses on the restoration of biodiversity and ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes. Since 2006, he has directed the Master's Program in Ecosystem Restoration, offered jointly by the Universities of Alcalá, Complutense University of Madrid, Polytechnic University of Madrid, and Rey Juan Carlos University. In 2006, he co-founded the International Foundation for Ecosystem Restoration with colleagues from various countries to transfer academic knowledge to society, and he has served as Chairman of its Board of Trustees since that year.

Mario Díaz

Research Professor at the CSIC in the National Museum of Natural Sciences

Mario Díaz

Research Professor at the CSIC in the National Museum of Natural Sciences

Mario Díaz got his PhD in Biology at the Complutense University of Madrid in 1991. After more than 10 years of teaching in two Spanish Universities, he moved to the Spanish Research Council, were he is now Full Professor at the Department of Biogeography and Global Change. He has been member of the Scientific Committee of SEO/BirdLife International since its creation in 2001, presiding it from 2012 to 2021. His work is focused on the role of keystone species for the long-term sustainability of man-made systems, and on the ways human uses influence key interactions such as herbivory and seed dispersal. Conservation-driven policies aimed at improving sustainability of land use systems are derived from this work. Among other multidisciplinary research lines, he currently coordinates the Interdisciplinary Platform AGRIAMBIO (www.pti-agrimabio.csic.es) since 2022, whose goal is to evaluate the environmental and social effectiveness of the Spanish Strategic Plan for the Common Agricultural Policy 2023-2030.

Juan Vilar

CEO of Juan Vilar Strategic Consultants

Juan Vilar

CEO of Juan Vilar Strategic Consultants

Juan Vilar, CEO of Juan Vilar Strategic Consultants, holds a PhD in Economics and is a tenured professor and Director of the Olive Oil MBA at the University of Jaén, as well as a member of its Social Council. He is also part of the Caja Rural Chair of Olive Oil Economics, Marketing and Cooperativism at the University of Jaén, and of the Olive Oil Innovation University Chair (Aula Universitaria Oleícola Innova) at UNIA (International University of Andalusia). He was a global executive at the GEA Group for over 16 years, where he held the positions of President, CEO, and Managing Director. He has authored more than 1,200 scientific and outreach publications and has been a keynote speaker in over 30 countries. In addition to this extensive professional career, he is also an olive grower.

Juan A. Peñamil Alba

Owner and CEO of Grupo Editorial Mercacei

Juan A. Peñamil Alba

Owner and CEO of Grupo Editorial Mercacei

Juan A. Peñamil Alba holds degrees in Journalism, Advertising, and Public Relations from the Complutense University of Madrid, and an MBA in Sales and Marketing Management from IE Business School.

Juan A. Peñamil Alba co-founded Mercacei Magazine with María Dolores Peñafiel Fernández in 1994. Since its inception, he has been the owner and CEO of the Mercacei Publishing Group, a leading publisher of professional publications for the olive oil, olive grove, and table olive sector. The group currently offers seven products: Mercacei Magazine, Mercacei Semanal, Olivatessen by Mercacei, Mercacei.com, the Evooleum Guide, the Industrial Guide to the Olive Oil and Olive Growing Sector, and the Guide to Olive Oil Manufacturers and Packers.

The Mercacei Publishing Group has received over thirty national and international awards throughout its history, including the Spanish Food Award for Communication, granted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The latest was the recognition of his professional career at the Expoliva International Fair.

Beatriz Arroyo

Research Professor at the CSIC and Director of the Research Institute of Hunting Resources (IREC, CSIC-UCLM-JCCM)

Beatriz Arroyo

Research Professor at the CSIC and Director of the Research Institute of Hunting Resources (IREC, CSIC-UCLM-JCCM)

After completing my doctoral thesis in the United Kingdom, I worked for four years in France (Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé-CNRS) and six years in Scotland (Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, NERC) before joining the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) as a Senior Scientist at the Institute for Game and Wildlife Research (Ciudad Real) in 2006. My initial research interests (population ecology and conservation of birds of prey and steppe birds) have expanded to include broader aspects of the relationship between bird ecology and conservation and the economic use of natural resources. Thus, my current research aims to contribute to reconciling human activities with wildlife conservation.

Specifically, my studies include the following topics:

Relationship between agriculture and biodiversity: ecology and conservation of steppe birds
Game management and wildlife conservation: impact of game management on non-game species, sustainability of hunting declining game species.
Ecological conflicts in wildlife management: problems associated with the management of declining and overabundant species.

Increasingly, these projects include multidisciplinary approaches, integrating social (or socio-economic) aspects, for example, the perceptions of different sectors regarding ecological conflicts associated with wildlife management, the value attributed to nature conservation and how this affects the acceptability of different management measures, or the value of science compared to other sources of information and its influence on management decision-making.

José Eugenio Gutiérrez Ureña

Director of the LIFE Olivares Vivos+ Project. SEO/BirdLife

José Eugenio Gutiérrez Ureña

Director of the LIFE Olivares Vivos+ Project. SEO/BirdLife

José Eugenio Gutiérrez Ureña is a biologist. He is currently Head of Agri-food Systems and Rural Environment at SEO/BirdLife and director of the LIFE Olivares Vivos Project. He is part of a research team at the University of Jaén and has extensive experience coordinating training programs. He is the author of over one hundred scientific and popular publications. He has worked as an environmental consultant in the private sector, environmental administration, and third-sector organizations, and has a long track record in the development and management of European projects. Convinced that the future of biodiversity conservation lies in rural areas, he has dedicated much of his career to promoting the conservation of natural heritage through innovative and participatory approaches, especially those focused on agriculture. For over a decade, he has concentrated his work on designing and certifying agricultural models that integrate biodiversity as the foundation for profitability and sustainability in the agricultural sector.

Juan Carlos Cirera

General Manager of Riet Vell

Juan Carlos Cirera

General Manager of Riet Vell

A veterinarian by training, I have dedicated my entire life to the environment and agriculture. For 14 years I was the SEO/BirdLife delegate in Aragon and, since 2005, the director of Riet Vell, S.A. Riet Vell is a company founded by SEO/BirdLife to promote organic farming, integrated with the environment, and which fosters the conservation of areas of high environmental value and rural development. We work with rice from the Ebro Delta and other Iberian wetlands, pasta from the Ebro Valley, legumes from La Mancha, and organic sea salt. Riet Vell owns and manages a 54-hectare farm in the heart of the Ebro Delta, dedicated to the organic production of rice and the conservation of biodiversity. Within its boundaries lies a lagoon that has become one of the best places in the entire Ebro Delta for observing waterfowl.

José María Montero

Journalist specializing in scientific, environmental, and agri-food news. Director of “Espacio Protegido” and “Tierra y Mar” on Canal Sur Television.

José María Montero

Journalist specializing in scientific, environmental, and agri-food news. Director of “Espacio Protegido” and “Tierra y Mar” on Canal Sur Television.

Journalist specializing in science, environmental, and agri-food reporting. Director of some twenty nature and science documentaries filmed on five continents (RTVA + CSIC). Professor in the Master's Program in Science Communication (Pompeu Fabra University) and in the Expert Course in Agri-food Communication (University of Córdoba). Author of several manuals on environmental journalism and science communication. Member of the Climate Change Communication Observatory. Founding member of the Association of Environmental Journalists (APIA). Member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Author of the blog “El gato en el jazmín” (The Cat in the Jasmine). Among other awards, he has received the Ondas Award 2019, the National Environment Award 2004, the BBVA Foundation Award for Biodiversity Conservation 2004, the Andalusia Environment Award 1996 and 2018, the Andalusia Journalism Award 2019 and 2022, the Orange Sustainability Award 2022 and the TVE Green Beetle Award 2025.

Catarina Bairrao Balula

Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation and Training within the Olive Growing, Olive Oil Technology and Environment Unit

Catarina Bairrao Balula

Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation and Training within the Olive Growing, Olive Oil Technology and Environment Unit

Catarina Bairrão dos Santos Rodrigues Balula is an agricultural engineer specializing in Agricultural and Rural Economics, with over thirty years of experience in the olive and olive oil sectors. For the past twenty-three years, she has worked at the International Olive Council, where she promotes Technical Cooperation and Training, actively participating in the work of the Olive Growing, Olive Technology, and Environment Unit. Throughout her career, she has designed and coordinated international programs for olive grove modernization, genetic resource conservation, climate change adaptation, quality improvement, and the valorization of byproducts, in addition to numerous advanced courses in sensory analysis and quality control in various producing countries. A polyglot (Portuguese, Spanish, English, French, and Italian), she enjoys acting as a bridge between public institutions, the private sector, and the scientific community to promote more sustainable and innovative olive farming, one that is closer to local communities and focused on conserving the biodiversity of the olive tree and the surrounding ecosystems.

Juan Antonio Parrilla González

Full-time lecturer in the Area of History and Economic Institutions in the Department of Economics at the University of Jaén

Juan Antonio Parrilla González

Full-time lecturer in the Area of History and Economic Institutions in the Department of Economics at the University of Jaén

He holds a diploma in Business Studies and a degree in Business Administration and Management (specialising in General Business Management), completing his studies at the Fernando Pessoa University in Porto (Portugal). He holds a PhD in Social and Legal Sciences from the University of Jaén. Author of the doctoral thesis entitled Economic Analysis of Tourist Destinations: a view from endogenous development. Director of the PIERALISI-UJA Chair of Historical and Economic Studies of the Olive Oil Industry. He is currently Vice-Dean of Tourism, Entrepreneurship and Employability at the Faculty of Social and Legal Sciences at the University of Jaén.

Manuel José Ruiz Torres

Head of the Entomology Department at the Plant Production and Health Laboratory, Junta de Andalucía

Manuel José Ruiz Torres

Head of the Entomology Department at the Plant Production and Health Laboratory, Junta de Andalucía

Manuel Ruiz Torres holds a PhD in Biology from the University of Jaén and is head of the Entomology Unit at the Plant Production and Health Laboratory in Jaén. His entire professional career has been dedicated to plant health. He is the author or co-author of over one hundred articles, books, and book chapters related to scientific research and dissemination, organizer of several olive grove phytosanitary workshops, speaker at numerous national and international conferences, and a member of several research teams, currently the agricultural entomology team at the University of Córdoba. In terms of education, he is a guest lecturer in the Master's Program in Olive Groves and Olive Oil at the University of Jaén and in the Master's Program in Olive Growing and Olive Oil Technology at the University of Córdoba. He has also taught numerous courses on various aspects of plant health to technical advisors and professional farmers.

Eduardo Muñoz Durán

General Manager of Oliva Oliva

Eduardo Muñoz Durán

General Manager of Oliva Oliva

Eduardo Muñoz was born in Seville, Spain. He holds a Law degree and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Nyenrode University in the Netherlands.

He worked as E-Business Director at Metrovacesa until 2006, before founding Oliva Oliva in 2007, one of the first online platforms specialized in premium extra virgin olive oil. He has led the company as Managing Director ever since.

In 2016, Oliva Oliva opened a physical store in Madrid and launched its full catalogue on Amazon Europe and Amazon USA, strengthening its international presence.

Today, the company sells leading Spanish extra virgin olive oil brands worldwide through online channels. It has recently expanded its portfolio to include Portuguese, Greek, and Italian brands, with the aim of representing most olive oil producing countries in its catalogue.

Juan Luis Ávila

Coordinator of Farmers’ Organizations of Andalucía

Juan Luis Ávila

Coordinator of Farmers’ Organizations of Andalucía

Juan Luis Ávila Castro has been the Secretary General of COAG Andalucía since May 2025. He is 47 years old, a self-employed farmer, and holds a degree in Biology. He grew up in the countryside, working with cereals and planting olive trees.

He served as the Provincial Secretary of COAG Jaén from 2012 until October 2025, and was responsible for the Olive Sector at COAG, both at the Andalusian and national levels. His career includes active participation in the Interprofessional Olive Oil Organization, as well as in the European Commission's Market Observatory for Olive Oil, Olive Groves, and Table Olives in Brussels. He was also part of the COPA-COGECA team of olive experts in Brussels, representing farmers' interests at the European level.

His career is deeply rooted in the defense of the professional and family farming model. He is recognized for his active participation in negotiations, including those on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and its impact on the olive sector.

Fernando Gúzman Garvín

General Manager, Carrefour Jaén

Fernando Gúzman Garvín

General Manager, Carrefour Jaén

A graduate in Law from the University of Jaén and with a Master's degree in Business Administration from ICADE, he has extensive professional experience in the retail sector. He has spent most of his career at Carrefour, where he has accumulated over 27 years of experience, holding various Human Resources positions in Andalusia, Extremadura, and Madrid, including Human Resources Manager, Regional HR Manager, and Development Manager. Since 2020, he has served as Director of the Jaén hypermarket, leading the commercial operations area.

Francisco Vañó Cañadas

General Manager of Castillo de Canena

Francisco Vañó Cañadas

General Manager of Castillo de Canena

A graduate in Law from the Complutense University of Madrid and with a PDG from IESE Business School (University of Navarra), his career began in 1984 in the banking sector. He held various positions in the International division of three Spanish financial institutions (Banco Atlántico, Banesto, and Santander), working for nearly a decade in their international subsidiaries. In 2003, he joined the family business group, Castillo de Canena, focused on the agribusiness sector as producers and marketers of premium extra virgin olive oils, where he holds the position of General Manager. He is currently President of the Social Council of the University of Jaén, Vice President of the University of Jaén-Business Foundation, a Board Member of INTEROLEO, President of the Grandes Pagos de Olivar Association, a member of the Regulatory Council of the Jaén Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) for olive oils, and a full member of the Andalusian Academy of Gastronomy.

Marta Castrillo Hernández

Manager of Bodegas Marta Maté

Marta Castrillo Hernández

Manager of Bodegas Marta Maté

Marta Castrillo Hernández is an agricultural engineer from the University of León, specializing in agri-food industries, with extensive additional training in viticulture, oenology, wine marketing, and technical structures. With a background in rural and agro-industrial development, she co-founded Terracota Ingenieros, where she worked for over 15 years advising projects in the wine and agri-food sectors. She is currently co-founder and CEO of Bodegas Marta & Maté, in the Ribera del Duero Designation of Origin, and also co-founder of the Truffle Institute, focused on the cultivation of truffle oaks in Burgos.

Javier Hidalgo

Coordinator of the agri-food engineering and technology area of IFAPA

Manuel Gómez Galera

Secretary General of Agriculture, Livestock and Food of the Regional Government of Andalusia

Luis Bolaños Figueredo

CEO of Iberhanse Corporativo

Javier Pérez Mata

Field technician of the farms “Las Víboras” and “Sierra de Moralejo”