Michael Barker is a journalist with more than 20 years of experience covering the international fresh produce and farming industries. He is a former editor at the Fresh Produce Journal and fresh foods editor at The Grocer magazine, and currently works as a contributing editor at Fruitnet, as well as writing regularly for a range of trade and consumer food and farming publications in the UK. He is a highly experienced host of industry events and moderated the last two editions of the International Strawberry Congress.

Hans Vanderhallen is managing director of Coöperatie Hoogstraten, a major player in the fresh produce world. Coöperatie Hoogstraten is home to over 165 unique producers, united in our mission and our values: to create a sustainable future for the fruit and vegetables sector through integrity, involvement, connection, growth and horizon. Together, we grow and distribute top quality fresh fruit and vegetables to clients all over the world. All year long. Hans started his career at Hoogstraten in 2000 as manager of logistics, and became managing director in 2020.

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Jinnih Beels is Deputy Governor of the Province of Antwerp, responsible for Agriculture among other portfolios. She graduated in Criminology and began hercareer with the Antwerp police, where she gained extensive experience in the fields of security and diversity. Later, she served as Vice Mayor for Educationand Youth in the City of Antwerp, before joining the provincial government in 2024.

The Province of Antwerp is one of the five provinces in Flanders, Belgium, andcarries out a supra-local policy for its 67 municipalities. Within her agricultural mandate, Jinnih Beels is committed to fostering an agriculturaland horticultural sector that is in balance with the environment and that can continue to produce for the future. Preserving sufficient space for foodproduction is a central focus of this policy.

To achieve these objectives, the province works closely with municipalities,research centers, farmers, horticulturalists, agricultural organizations, and other stakeholders. Together with these partners, Deputy Beels aims tocontribute to a resilient and sustainable agricultural and horticulturalsector.

Marijke holds a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics from Wageningen University (the Netherlands) and a European Master in Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness from École Nationale Supérieure Agronomique de Rennes (France). Since 2006, Marijke has been an integral part of the European Commission at the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI) and has been working various areas of agricultural policy and markets. Currently she works as a policy officer in the unit responsible for wine, spirit drinks, and fruits. Before joining the European Commission, she contributed to the development of national and European agricultural policies through her work within agricultural organizations.

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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, IGOs, and multi-national firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.

And an award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor.

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Amelia Kallman is a leading London futurist, speaker, author, and host. She has spoken at 100+ conferences, hosted 20+ events, written industry-leading reports,addressed the House of Lords and the U.N., and regularly consults for Fortun e500 companies. Recently named one of the Top 20 World-Leading Futurist Speakers, as well as one of the Top 25 Women in the Metaverse, Amelia’s clients include: AT&T, Bloomberg, Allianz, Adobe, Financial Times, Puma, PWC, Unilever, JLL, Keywords Studios, Bending Spoons, Lloyd's, Red Bull, and UK Parliament. She is a mentor and activist in the responsible tech movement, and is currently writing her third book.

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Protoplast-CRISPR technology in strawberry

Lena Maas is the Head of R&D at Hudson River, responsible for managing the genetics, CRISPR editing and sequencing operations of the BioMaas platform. Her background is in molecular plant biotechnology and she holds a PhD molecular biology with focus on transcriptional regulation of plant regeneration.

Steven J. Knapp is Distinguished Professor and Emeritus Director of the Strawberry Breeding Program in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of California, Davis.  He is an expert on plant breeding, quantitative genetics, and genome-informed breeding and has extensive experience with single-cross hybrid breeding systems in heterotic species.  His past research focused on the breeding, genetics, and genomics of sunflower, peanut, and industrial oilseeds.  Since 2015, his research has focused entirely on strawberry, with emphases on developing high-yielding disease resistant cultivars, enhancing fruit quality and shelf life, the development of genomic and bioinformatic resources, and the application of genome-informed breeding approaches in strawberry.  He was previously Global Director of Vegetable Breeding Technology at Monsanto (2009-2015), Professor and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar and Graduate Program Coordinator in the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics at the University of Georgia (2004-2009), and Professor and Paul C. Berger Endowed Chair at Oregon State University (1985-2004).  He taught Quantitative Genetics at UC Davis (2015-2025) and previously taught Advanced Plant Breeding and Quantitative Genetics at OSU (1985-2004).

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Philippe Binard joined the fresh fruit and vegetables business in 1987. Since 2001, he is the General Delegate of Freshfel Europe , the European Association representing the interest of the fresh fruit and vegetables sector. Freshfel ( www.freshfel.org) incorporates more than 200 members (associations and companies) across the fresh produce supply chain from production down to retail. Philippe Binard has also other responsibility including the Secretary General of WAPA (World Apple and Pear Association -www.wapa-association.org) and WCO ( World Citrus Organisation).

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Mr Nabil Belmkaddem holds a master’s degree in Plant Science from California State Universtity, Fresno. He has 30 years of experience in fruit production and exports. Since 2017 he has been the general manager of Cooperative Bestberry which is a grower organization based in Larache in North Morocco. Bestberry operates in exports of all berries both fresh and frozen and has partners in all the major European markets. Mr Nabil is a member of the Moroccan Association of berry packers and exporters and has been a speaker in numerous berry congresses in Morocco and in Europe.

Huan Zhangis an agriculture consultant based in China and the founder of Twinkle StarBerry Consulting Company. He earned his Ph.D. from Washington StateUniversity’s Small Fruits Horticulture Program, where he developed extensiveexpertise in collaborating with berry growers. Huan has also gained valuableexperience working with international berry companies. He is committed tosharing his insights and driving advancements in the berry industry. Outside ofwork, Huan enjoys spending time in the fields with his wife and daughter,fostering a family passion for agriculture.

The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) exists to bring our industry together to create a vibrant future for all. We have a fresh outlook on fresh produce, believing it can help solve some of the world’smost pressing problems. We are the largest and most diverse internationalassociation serving the entire fresh produce and floral supply chain, andthe only to seamlessly integrate world-facing advocacy and industry-facingsupport.

IFPA’s mission is to connect, inform and deliver industry solutions that enhance members’ prosperity. To accomplish this, IFPA links members to new contacts, new markets and the business and consumer insights needed to grow their business. 

Dr. Arne Stensvand is a senior researcher at Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research(NIBIO) and a professor at Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU). His research is on pathogen biology, epidemiology and disease control, primarily in fruit and berry diseases but also in other horticultural crops. Developing integrated solutions for plant protection that can be affordable and easily implemented by the industry is a key goal of Dr. Stensvand. Over the recent years, physical means as alternatives to chemical disease control has been a major researchinterest of Dr. Stensvand.

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Bart De Langhe is a behavioral scientist and marketing professor with an international career. He is currently on the faculty at KU Leuven and Vlerick Business School in Belgium.

He earnedhis PhD at Erasmus University in the Netherlands and previously held faculty positions at ESADE Business School in Spain and the University of Colorado Boulder in the United States. He has also been a visiting scholar at leading institutions such as the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS).

Professor De Langhe’s research and teaching lie at the intersection of behavioral science, data analytics, and marketing. His work focuses on helping organizations make better decisions by combining analytical rigor with insights into human behavior. He is the author of Decision-Driven Analytics (WhartonSchool Press), a practical guide that is reshaping how companies worldwidethink about the role of analytics in decision-making. His teaching excellence has been recognized with the Poets & Quants Best Professor Award, adistinction honoring educators who leave a lasting mark on their students and institutions. He currently serves as an Associate Editor at the Journal of Consumer Research and is a member of the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of Marketing.

Over the years, he has worked with leading companies in sectors such as retail, consumer goods, financial services, pharmaceuticals, and information and communication technology. Beyond the private sector, he collaborates with public institutions on issuesrelated to marketing and consumer welfare and he has served as an expertwitness in court cases involving advertising effectiveness, innovationdiffusion, CRM analytics, and sports sponsorships.

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Marieke Appel is an experienced marketing and communications professional at Driscoll’s, the global market leader in fresh berries. Over the past 15 years, she has been instrumental in introducing and establishing the Driscoll’s brand across the EMEA region, and she has been playing a key role in the global repositioning of the Driscoll's brand.

She is passionate about building authentic food brands, firmly believing that a brand can only earn trust and loyalty when its story is genuine and when it is used as a force for good.

Before joining Driscoll’s, Marieke Appel held various roles in the healthy and natural food and FMCG sectors, gaining over a decade of international experience in marketing and business development. In her current role as Strategic Engagement and Communications Manager, she focuses on meaningful storytelling, while creating connections with the broader community.

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Jan Engelen is currently Manager Sustainability, Innovation & Branding at Coöperatie Hoogstraten, a major player in the fresh produce business. Jan started his career after finishing his Master Degree in Horticultural Engineering in 1998 at the editorial board of Proeftuinnieuws; a publication appealing to both fruit and vegetable producers and associated agribusiness. In 2000 Jan worked for Syngenta Seeds as a sales representative in Belgium and the Netherlands. In 2002, he became Business Development Manager for Syngenta Seeds after which he joined Coöperatie Hoogstraten in 2005. Between 2018 and 2022 Jan worked as Marketing & Sales Manager for Bakker Belgium NV – part of the Greenyard Group. In March 2022 he re-joined the team in Hoogstraten.

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Brands far&wide count on Hashting's direct to consumer engagement platform todirectly connect with their target audience, convert them to leads and shoppers& leveragre the Customer Lifetime value by engaging with them on long-term.

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With over 40 years of experience in strawberry purchasing and sales, Curd Vanmarcke is a well-known figure in the European fresh produce sector. His career began in 1982 at the family business Vanmarcke Roger & Sons, where he gained extensive expertise in the trade and export of strawberries.

In 1997, following the acquisition of the family business by Vergro NV, he joined the company and has since played a key role in expanding its export operations. Today, as Sales Manager at Vergro NV, Curd oversees international sales and purchasing strategies, with a continued focus on strawberries.

Driven by genuine enthusiasm, his personal motto reflects his lifelong dedication:
“Strawberry purchasing and sales isn’t a job—it’s a hobby and a true passion.”

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Joeri Beniest, Head of Fruit and Vegetable Purchasing at Lidl, has spent 10 years at the company, with 9 of those years dedicated to fruit and vegetable procurement. His expertise lies in building strong, sustainable partnerships, ensuring top-quality produce. "Growing is something we do together with our partners" is his mantra as he works to deliver the best for customers every time.

Michiel Vermeiren is currently responsible for the fruit business unit at Coöperatie Hoogstraten, a major player in the fresh produce business. Strawberries are obviously the biggest category within the fruit segment, but Coöperatie Hoogstraten also offers blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and kiwi berries. Michiel started his career in Hoogstraten as sales and business analyst in 2020. He was working on different projects to gain more insight in the data and processes within the organisation. From that position, he often worked intensively with the sales and quality team which he is now leading.