The European Liaison Committee for Agricultural and Agri-Food Trade (CELCAA) has elected a new presidency team for the period 2024 to 2027 during its Annual General Meeting held in Brussels. Mr. Jochem Versloot, Co-Owner of the Jan Zandbergen Group, an internationally active meat trading company based in the Netherlands and active member of UECBV, the European Livestock and Meat Trades Union, will take over the presidency. CELCAA extends its gratitude to the outgoing president, Mr. Marcel van der Vliet, for his outstanding service and dedication over the past six years. Mr. van der Vliet’s leadership has been instrumental in navigating the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the shifting landscape of trade policies.
Mr. Jochem Versloot, Co-Owner of the Jan Zandbergen Group, was elected by the Annual General Meeting with a mandate for the period 2024 to 2027. Jan Zandbergen Group, a family-owned business, has evolved over three generations from a butcher shop to a multifaceted enterprise involved in exporting, and importing meat, and producing meat & plant-based products. The company employs around 350 people across three locations in Europe. With almost 23 years of experience in the sector and a solid network of partners worldwide, Mr. Versloot brings a wealth of expertise to CELCAA. Mr. Versloot’s presidency begins at a critical juncture with the imminent conclusion of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of Agriculture and the introduction of a new European Commission and European Parliament with as of yet unclear strategic priorities. “It will be essential to underline the crucial role of agri-food trade in European and global food systems and to ensure consistent attention to the challenges of the sector, particularly at the intersection of competitiveness in intra- and extra-EU trade, the transition to more sustainable operations, the ongoing development of strategies to address climate change and a stagnating global trade agenda.” says Mr. Versloot.
