María Agustina Veiga becomes the new president of Argentina's CASAFE

María Agustina Veiga has taken over the presidency of CASAFE (Chamber of Agricultural Health and Fertilizers), becoming the first woman to lead this organization. 

The new president of CASAFE began her work by implementing a new strategic plan for the Argentine entity. 

According to the organization, its mission is to promote sustainable agriculture, mainly through the responsible use of phytosanitary products. Under the new leadership, the organization stated, the focus would be on ″sustainability and innovation, key areas for the future of agriculture.″

″Argentina is the 3rd largest food exporter in the world, maintaining the global competitiveness of the Argentine agri-food sector is essential for the country’s economic sustainability,″ Veiga said.

According to her, the collaborative work between all members of this large chain is ″extremely important so that we can be increasingly competitive, inclusive, and sustainable over time.″ The new president of CASAFE has a prominent career in the Indian multinational UPL.

″Agustina Veiga has proven to be a leader committed to innovation and sustainability in the agricultural sector,″ the entity said in a statement. 

The executive has over 20 years of experience in people development and management, focusing on implementing necessary organizational changes to carry out different business models. 

″Her experience and strategic vision have been fundamental to the development of projects that promote collaborative work based on the identification of shared challenges,″ CASAFE added.

Regarding her medium- and short-term strategy, Agustina Veiga mentioned that the agenda was designed five years ago and is now being reviewed.

″Now, I have the opportunity to lead this project that we carry out with external help and the entire team. We are talking about the future of the industry, how we will continue working on sustainability, innovation, and what contribution we can make to society,″ she said.

Among the various axes of the strategy, she points out the first as being the commitment to the environment and sustainable agriculture. ″We are working with the new government authorities to accelerate the approval of new registrations that will bring innovation to our producers,″ the new president of CASAFE revealed.

Another issue that the executive highlighted as ″extremely important is achieving communication-based on science.″

″Debunking some myths that circulate in society, such as the use of phytosanitary products. This is one of the most regulated industries, and with proper use, it poses no risk to human life. Therefore, the challenge is how we can communicate science in an understandable way, avoiding technical language,″ she said.

Another axis of her administration in the phytosanitary industry is innovation as a ″fundamental pillar that drives our commitment to efficiency, sustainability, and safety.″

″We are constantly working to improve and develop molecules that are not only more effective but also more environmentally friendly. This approach allows us to offer solutions that reduce environmental impact and protect biodiversity,″ she stated.

Additionally, Agustina highlighted that approximately 80% of the companies that are part of CASAFE are producing biological products. ″Biological products represent an innovative alternative that complements conventional practices and contributes to more sustainable agriculture,″ she argued.

″In the last year, for example, the use of biological products has increased by 27%. This shows that companies are bringing solutions to producers, and on the other hand, producers are adopting them. Biologicals require technical sales, with product demonstrations, so companies dedicate a lot of time to this training. It motivates me greatly to see the interest in making better use of the products. Undoubtedly, this is the way forward,″ she said in conclusion.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)