Speakers

Martin Alm

Dr. Martin Alm studied chemistry at the Technical University of Braunschweig. In 1998 he started his career at SARIA Bio-Industries, responsible for “Research and Development” and “Regulatory Affairs” representing SARIA and Germany in different national and international interest groups and research committees. Since 2009 Dr. Alm is director of “Dr. Alm Research and Consulting GmbH” and Technical Director of EFPRA, European Fat Processors and Renderers Association. He is also member of the scientific advisory panel of the World Renderers Organisation (WRO) whose president he was from 2019 to 2021.

Richard van Lijssel

Working at Darling Ingredients for 17 years, Richard van Lijssel is, as Director Technology, responsible for creating added value by developing new technology driven business concepts as well as realizing new technology-driven projects. Responsibilities also include Health, Safety & Environmental Management as well as Sustainability related matters. He is a Member of the Management Team of the Darling Ingredients Rendering & Specialties Division as well as the Rousselot Division. Richard is also member of the Darling Ingredients Corporate Sustainability Committee, delivering the Darling ESG performance. In addition, he is Chairman of the EFPRA Sustainability Committee as well as the GME (Gelatin Manufacturers Europe) Sustainability Committee.

Lucas Cypriano

Zootechnician (Animal Science), worked for 5 years as a nutritionist for poultry and swine, formulating feed and premixes, as well as implementing and managing the 5S and ISO 9001 systems. Served for 8 years, as the National Sales Manager for Eurotec Nutrition with additives for rendered meals and fats.

Since November 2011, Lucas Cypriano has assumed the Technical Department of ABRA (Brazilian Renderers Association), overseeing regulatory matters, hygienic manufacturing programs, HACCP plans, and rendering project consultancy.

With the WRO (World Renderers Organization), he has been a member of the Scientific Advisory Panel since 2014. Having held the positions of vice-president and president within the WRO, currently, Lucas is the Technical Director of the WRO.

Sandra Blome

Sandra BLOME studied veterinary medicine at the University of Leipzig, Germany, and has a doctorate degree in veterinary medicine.

Since 2008 she is senior scientist at the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health (FLI), Germany, and responsible for the national reference laboratories for classical and African swine fever.

Sandra Blome has long-term experience in working with transboundary viruses under high containment conditions up to BSL 3+ including animal experiments.

She is deputy head of the Institute of Diagnostic Virology since 2015. Her research focuses on studies on pathogenesis of viral infectious diseases with particular emphasis on virus-host interaction and diagnostics/vaccine development.

Harald von Witzke

Harald von Witzke is emeritus Professor at the Thaer Institute, Humboldt University of Berlin and member of the Bord of the Thaer Forum for Agriculture e. V. He received his academic credentials from Göttingen University. Before joining Humboldt University in 1994 he was from 1983 to 1994 Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul, MN, USA.

Carine van Vuure

From 1983 till 1988 Mrs. C.A. van Vuure MSc. studied Animal Science at the University of Wageningen. Her specialisation was Animal Nutrition and Feed technology. She started working as an animal nutritionist for Hendrix’ voeders in Boxmeer in January 1989. Her focus was on raw material evaluation for the use in pig, poultry and ruminant compound feed. In 1996 she started for Darling Ingredients International Rendering & Specialties (Rendac, Sonac, Ecoson). Her current responsibilities consist of Nutrition including R&D, combined with Regulatory Affairs with the focus on the Animal By-products, TSE, Food hygiene, Feed Hygiene, Fertilizers and Labelling Regulation. Actually she is member of the standing technical committee of EFPRA (European Fat Processors and Rendering Association),further representing the company in EAPA (EU Blood processors) and also in EFFPA (European Former Foodstuffs Processors Association).

Jeffrey de Rooij

Jeffrey de Rooij studied the Master Animal Sciences at Wageningen University and graduated in 2021 with the specializations Animal Nutrition and Adaptation Physiology. His thesis subjects were coccidiosis in broilers and the effect of feed for broiler breeders on offspring performance. From January 2022 he started working at the animal feed company AgruniekRijnvallei as poultry specialist and nutritionist with a focus on layers.

Sjors Beerendonk

Dr. Robert Figgener

Robert is Managing Director of SARIA International. He joined SARIA as Commercial Director of ecoMotion – the biodiesel segment of SARIA - in 2007. In the subsequent years he also took responsibility for the rendering activities of SARIA in Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Italy and Romania. Since 2008 Robert is Vice-President of the Association of the German Biofuels Industry (President from 2013 – 2015). In 2018 he joined the EFPRA Council as Vice-President. Before he joined SARIA, Robert was Director of the German Meat Association (VDF) in Bonn (1999 – 2007). Robert obtained a PhD in Law after studies at the Universities of Münster/Germany, Leuven/Belgium and Sydney/Australia.

Luc Vernet

“Luc Vernet is a senior advisor at Farm Europe, a think tank specialising in EU agricultural affairs. He has an extensive experience in European politics. He has served the European Parliament as the spokesperson for a political group & the European Commission as political and communication advisor to the Commissioner for agriculture and rural development. Previously, he worked as a journalist, reporting on EU affairs.

Francisco Reviriego Gordejo

Dr Francisco Javier REVIRIEGO GORDEJO obtained his PhD(1999) in Veterinary Epidemiology from the UniversidadComplutense de Madrid and his degree (1988) in VeterinaryScience from the same university. He worked as Official vet forthe Autonomous Region of Castilla y Leon in Avila and beforeworked as a veterinarian with the Pig Farmers’ Association. He joined the European Commission in 2001 as a LegislativeVeterinary Officer. In 2005 was Head of Sector Epidemiology andEradication since 2008 to 2016 was as Head of the SectorDisease Control and Identification, later Adviser to the Directoron Crisis management in Food, Animals and Plants and currentlyHead of Unit for Animal Health in DG SANTE. In addition to his work at DG SANTE, Dr Reviriego Gordejoparticipates in a number of World Organisation for Animal Health(WOAH) ad hoc groups. 

Rob Kiers

Rob Kiers (1980, Dutch nationality) joined ForFarmers in 2021 as Director Strategy and Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) and became a member of the executive team in September 2021. On 5 June 2023, he was appointed member of the Executive Board and COO of ForFarmers, responsible for the business of ForFarmers in UK, Netherlands and Poland next to Strategy & M&A.
 
Rob holds a Master’s degree in International Business from the Catholic University of Nijmegen. After graduating, he started his career as a business and project control consultant. Subsequently, he gained broad international experience in various commercial and leadership positions held at Nutreco International, including in Eastern Europe, Middle East, Latin America and most recently in Africa and Asia. He worked 14 years for Nutreco.

Yeeun Moon

Yeeun is an analyst on GlobalData’s Biofuels Research Team who specializes in analysis of biofuels markets around the world, covering all aspects from feedstocks and policies to prices and by-products. She is the principal writer of GD’s regular biofuel publications, including the monthly Global Biodiesel Market Insight and Ethanol Market Insight and contributor to the company’s suite of biofuel services, including major pieces of analysis such as GD’s annual Global Biodiesel Outlook and Global Ethanol Outlook, Waste Oils & Fats and Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Before joining GD, she studied environmental economics at UC Berkeley and London School of Economics.

Dirk Dobbelaere

Dirk Dobbelaere grew up on a pig farm near Ghent in Belgium. He studied Agricultural Engineer in Ghent and obtained a degree in Marketing as well. After having worked in the Danish food industry and a Belgian slaughterhouse, hearrived in the world of lobbying in Brussels in the late nineties. Dirk was appointed Secretary General of EFPRA in2000. Besides EFPRA, Dirk is also the Head of the EuropeanMeat Manufacturing Industry Association and of theEuropean Blood Products Industry Association.