On February 23, 2023, the Food, Agri and Aqua Business Sector Committee (FAABS) organized a general meeting with the purpose of planning for 2023. During this meeting, FAABS conducted an election in which Jesper Hedegaard Clausen (De Heus) and Arjen Roem (Skretting) were re-elected as Chairman and Vice-Chairman/Treasurer, respectively. The FAABS’ 2023 Board also welcomed Paul-Antoine Croizé (Lallemand) as Vice-Chair.
The results of the election demonstrate that FAABS members and its Board are determined to pursue new and innovative advocacy initiatives, while maintaining its dynamism and commitment to the European-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), the green economy, and recurring policy issues outlined in EuroCham’s Whitebook.
Regarding their intentions for FAABS leadership, they stated the following:
Chairman Jesper Hedegaard Clausen
“Over the past 22 years, I have worked and lived in Asia, and have held positions in government projects, research, and the feed industry, with a focus on agriculture and aquaculture. As the Nutrition and Support Director, I currently lead De Heus’s global aqua nutrition and technical support team. My passion for efficient production, particularly in aquaculture, is driven by a vision for a sustainable industry and food production. This experience will be invaluable in supporting FAABS to achieve its objectives.”
“I am honored to be re-elected as FAABS chairman for a second year. The work that Eurocham and its members, together with the EU and Vietnamese government institutions, do is crucial in ensuring a more sustainable and efficient feed and food industry in Vietnam. Vietnamese producers and consumers will benefit from this, and if we succeed, we can grow our industry together in a sustainable way.”
Vice-Chairman Paul-Antoine Croizé
“I have been a member of FAABS since 2021 and was an active contributor to the 2021 Whitebook. I am honored to be the new Vice-Chairman of FAABS. My aim is to continue the fantastic work done by the previous boards and capitalize on the momentum created by GEFE. I have been working in the food, agriculture, and aquaculture value chain in Vietnam for nine years, distributing EU-origin products since 2019.”
“By joining the FAABS board, I would like to focus my efforts on EVFTA implementation and support the involvement of EuroCham members in building an ever-improving food, agriculture, and aquaculture value chain in Vietnam.”
Vice-Chairman/Treasurer Arjen Roem
“With over 30 years of international experience in the animal and fish nutrition business, I am currently the strategic marketing director for Skretting in the region, based in Vietnam since 2020. Working and living in this dynamic part of the world has been a long-time wish of mine.”
“FAABS can bring learning and experience from other continents to Vietnam in terms of fair legislation, food quality and safety standards, and animal health and environmental management practices. Together, we will support the initiative of the Vietnamese government to establish a Food Innovation Hub, bringing government, academia, and industry together in a meaningful practical way to jointly position Vietnam as the green Food, Agri, and Aqua powerhouse.”
