Summary Cantina Academy Conference 17.2.26

It is a great honor to represent the Israel-Greece Chamber of Commerce at the Cantina Academy Conference of Proto Thema, for the second time, held at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall.
Out of dozens of leading speakers, I was invited as one of only three speakers who are not from Greece – with the other two speakers coming from Spain. The Chief Editor of Proto Thema, Ms. Nana Drioti, created a relaxed atmosphere, a pleasant, respectful, and business-like environment.

The conference, under the title Tradition, Identity, Sustainability – Thessaloniki as a European Gastronomic Destination, brought together a wide range of decision-makers and influencers: the Minister of Education, the Mayor of Thessaloniki, the Regional Governor, representatives from the European Union, leaders of agricultural unions, universities, producers, chefs, culinary consultants, and gastronomy students
– all gathered around one central question:
How can gastronomy become a regional and national growth engine?
In my lecture, titled “The Renaissance of Agriculture Turns Gastronomy into a Lever for Renewing the Agricultural Food Sector,” I presented the deepening gap in recent years: On one hand, agriculture is facing an aging rural population, a decrease in young people entering the sector, and an outdated public perception. On the other hand, the global gastronomy scene is rapidly evolving through innovation, festivals, tourism based on authenticity, food technologies, and regional branding.

My central message was clear: Gastronomy can serve as an educational, economic,
and identity catalyst.
When connecting farmers, academic institutions, industry, chefs, and technology –
an ecosystem is created that generates real value for the next generation.
This is another layer in the activities of the Israel-Greece Chamber of Commerce to strengthen the economic and professional ties between the countries, and to present Israeli initiatives and innovations that can be implemented in Greece – in the fields of AgriTech, FoodTech, vocational education, and cross-border partnership models.

Thank you to Proto Thema and the Cantina team for the invitation and impressive hospitality. Thessaloniki once again proved why it can become a leading European gastronomic destination.
The topic raised interest among the Mayor of Thessaloniki, academic representatives from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and representatives from companies in the agriculture sector.