As part of the 93rd International Agricultural Fair in Novi Sad, the Italian Ambassador to Serbia, Luca Gori, took part in the seminar “Sharing Innovation: The Role of Cooperatives in a Changing Agriculture”, organised by the ICE Belgrade and dedicated to the themes of agricultural innovation, cooperation, and Agriculture 4.0.
The initiative took place within the framework of Italy’s collective participation at the International Agricultural Fair in Novi Sad, where an Italian pavilion covering more than 400 square metres was set up by the ICE office in Belgrade, in cooperation with the Italian Embassy in Serbia and FederUnacoma. The pavilion confirms Italy’s increasingly central role in the modernisation process of Serbia’s agro-industrial sector.
The seminar was opened by speeches from Ambassador Gori and Antonio Ventresca, Director of the ICE Office in Belgrade, while Fabio Ricci presented EIMA International, the international exhibition dedicated to agricultural machinery and gardening, scheduled to take place in Bologna from 10 to 14 November 2026.
Ambassador Gori also attended the signing of the Memorandum of Strategic Cooperation between Legacoop Agroalimentare and the Union of Cooperatives of Vojvodina, signed respectively by Cristian Maretti and Jelena Nestorov Bizonj.
The agreement aims to strengthen cooperation between the two cooperative systems in the fields of precision agriculture, agricultural digitalisation, the training of young farmers, the sharing of machinery and technologies, and the development of joint projects linked to innovation and sustainability in the agri-food sector.
“For me and for Legacoop Agroalimentare, it has been an honour to contribute to drafting this memorandum of understanding; we believe that cooperation between European cooperative organisations in strengthening our sector is valuable not only for the exchange of current experiences, but above all for building a shared vision for the future,” said Cristian Maretti, President of Legacoop Agroalimentare.
“The International Agricultural Fair in Novi Sad continues to establish itself not only as one of the region’s principal events in the sector, but also as a concrete platform for launching new projects and developing long-term partnerships,” stated Antonio Ventresca, Director of the ICE Office in Belgrade. “In this context,” he added, “the cooperation between the Italian and Serbian cooperative systems represents a particularly important step, and the fact that Italy has, for the first time, become Serbia’s second-largest supplier in the sector confirms the quality of our offering and opens up further opportunities for collaboration.”
“Agri-food cooperation between Italy and Serbia is currently experiencing a particularly positive phase of growth, supported by the quality of Italian technologies and by a shared vision focused on innovation and sustainability,” declared the Italian Ambassador to Serbia, Luca Gori. “Within this framework,” he added, “the signing of the agreement between Legacoop Agroalimentare and the Union of Cooperatives of Vojvodina represents an important step towards increasingly structured cooperation in the areas of precision agriculture, digitalisation, and professional training – fields that will be crucial in addressing the transformations facing the agricultural sector in the coming years.”
