AVEC, the voice of the European poultry meat sector, announced the appointment of Gert-Jan Oplaat as its new president. The announcement comes ahead of the International Poultry Council annual meeting in Bordeaux.

In the Netherlands, Oplaat serves as president of the Association of the Dutch Poultry Processing Industry (NEPLUVI).

Oplaat succeeds Lopez, who has been presiding over the association for the past eight years. He will lead the organisation in its mission to represent in the interests of the poultry meat producers of Europe, with an emphasis on sustainable and responsible production. 

"As poultry producers, we pride ourselves in the sustainable nature of the low CO2 footprint, compared to many other sectors," said the organisation.

The new AVEC president wants to focus on the importance of sustainable production in Europe, but also to see how further steps could be taken. 

Being committed to sustainability and animal welfare, implies also not to forget to apply the same standards for imports in the EU. In the coming period, AVEC said it will take a close look at the on-going discussions with the European Commission and European Parliament on how to maintain the pioneering position that the European poultry sector has in the world, in the context of the Farm-to-Fork strategy adopted in Europe.

The presidency comes with great challenges ahead due to the energy crisis, but also with an opportunity to be a stability factor in mitigating the food security crisis. 

Nevertheless, a change in leadership doesn’t always mean a change in the direction. Paul Lopez, the former president, will stay on as vice-president, together with Franz-Jozef Rothkötter, Mario Veronesi and Dariusz Goszczynski.