On the afternoon of Monday, October 10, at the Cultural Center of Kalamata, took place the presentation of the Center for Agri-Food Entrepreneurship in Messinia, in the presence of officials and a great number of individuals. The Center was funded by the “Captain Vassilis and Carmen Constantakopoulos” Foundation, and was made possible in collaboration with the American Farm School, with the support of the Municipality of Kalamata, the Technological Educational Institute of Peloponnese, and the Vocational Training Center of the Peloponnese and the Ionian Islands, of the Messinian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
More specifically, as part of its endeavors to support the agricultural sector in Messinia, the “Captain Vassilis and Carmen Constantakopoulos” Foundation assigned the design and creation of the Center to the Strategic Project Management Office of the American Farm School in Thessaloniki. The event began with introductory speeches by the “Captain Vassilis and Carmen Constantakopoulos” Foundation’s president, Mr. Achilleas V. Constantakopoulos, and the president of the American Farm School, Dr. Panos Kanellis. Then the event was addressed by the mayor of Kalamata, Mr. Panayiotis Nikas, the president of the Technological Educational Institute of Peloponnese, Mr. Dimitris Velissariou, and the president of the Vocational Training Center of the Peloponnese and the Ionian Islands, of the Messinian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Pavlos Kraniotis.
In his introductory speech, the director of the “Captain Vassilis and Carmen Constantakopoulos” Foundation, Mr. Xenophon Kappas, said: “The ‘Captain Vassilis and Carmen Constantakopoulos’ Foundation, responding to the local community’s request for more opportunities for practical training and education on agri-food issues, undertook a collaboration with the American Farm School, with the aim of creating the Center for Agri-Food Entrepreneurship. The aim of the Center is to support local producers and agricultural businesses. The farmers, and agri-food professionals, in general, can attend the experiential seminars offered, and benefit from the counseling services provided. The collaboration with the American Farm School, which has the business expertise, and the support of the Municipality of Kalamata, the Technological Educational Institute of Peloponnese, and the Vocational Training Center of the Peloponnese and the Ionian Islands, of the Messinian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, all of whom are aware of the local needs, guarantee the Center’s success. We are convinced that this endeavor will benefit all interested parties in multiple ways, and will help reinforce the agricultural sector in Messinia and the Peloponnese.”
In the words of the director of the Strategic Project Management Office of the American Farm School, Dr. Philip Papadopoulos: “It is with great pleasure that we inaugurate the joint effort between the ‘Captain Vassilis and Carmen Constantakopoulos’ Foundation and the American Farm School to support agri-food entrepreneurship in Messinia. This day marks the culmination of discussions that lasted many months, which brought to the forefront our belief that the agri-food chain may give an area its cultural stamp, becoming a decisive factor in its development. This joint effort is fortunate to be backed by the substantial work of two founding institutions, each well-established in its respective field. The American Farm School offers a combination of modern scientific expertise, entrepreneurism, and excellence in experiential learning. The Center for Agri-Food Entrepreneurship begins its operation with a series of technical and business seminars. In the near future, we aim to focus more on individual counseling, in order to directly support the business endeavors of the Messinians, both on an individual and a collective level. In this effort of ours we aim to collaborate closely with the local community and its bodies. The collaboration between the American Farm School and the Technological Institute of Peloponnese for the creation of the Center is a promising omen for us, showcasing Kalamata’s wealth of human resources. We are certain that a great many other talented people and dynamic organizations will welcome the Center and become our allies.”
The aim of the center is to provide substantial support to people who seek to develop sustainable entrepreneurship through the proper management of natural resources, striving for a balanced development of the area’s agricultural economy. The Center will begin its activities by offering experiential educational programs aimed at providing entrepreneurship education and developing skills related to production, as well as promoting business ideas that will arise through the counseling services provided.
During the presentation, it was announced that the seminars scheduled to begin immediately will center on the standardization and processing of olives and olive oil, the cultivation and utilization of aromatic and medicinal plants, and the processing and standardization of food products. In addition, seminars on e-commerce and agri-food management will also be scheduled.
For more information regarding the seminars and registrations:
Tel. no.: (+30) 27230 28353, (+30) 6983749267