Day 1 – October 8th, 2025
09:00 – Welcome coffee and poster delivery
09:30 – Welcome speech
Opening of the Congress
Pierre Pagès – President – Sorghum ID
10:00 – Introduction conference
Introduction, Sorghum sector overview and economic information
Pierre Guillaumin – Economics & international services – FNPSMS
Arthur Boy – Economic affairs officer – AGPM
10:20 – Round table
Success Story, Sorghum in Hungary
László Balogh – Crop manager – Lidea Seeds
Gábor Feczák – CEO – Agroszemek Kft.
Fazekas Miklós – Co-manager – Alfaseed Kft.
Dr. Kovács István Dezső – Director crop trade Department – Kite
11:20 – Keynote speaker
Testimony: Sorghum Checkoff: Association creation and relation with downstream of the sector
John Duff – Founder – Serō Ag Strategies
Florentino Lopez – Agricultural Consultant – Creando Mañana
12:00 – Conclusion and program of the day
Valérie Brochet – Delegate – Sorghum ID
12:20 – Lunch
14:00-16:00 – Workshops: Feed – Food – Diversification
The Congress will include three workshops. Each of them will focus on a specific end product and will consist in sharing the experience of those involved in the sorghum processing and use.
16:00-16:30 – Break
16:30-17:30 – Workshops: Feed – Food – Diversification
19:00 – Cocktail and Dinner
Day 2 – October 9th, 2025
09:00 – Welcome coffee and poster delivery
09:15 – Poster Session
10:00 – Introduction conference
Opening Sorghum ID
Martin Gomez – Development Manager – FNPSMS
10:20 – RiSorgo: from pitchfork to fork. A three-year project to go beyond agronomic characterization and create the link between food industry and farmers.
Presentation of the RISorgho project
Monia Caramma – Sustainable Food Researcher – Monia Caramma
Tiziana Vonlanthen – Scientific Technical Assistant – Agroscope
10:45 – Round table
Feedback from the workshop sessions
Monia Caramma – Sustainable Food Researcher – Monia Caramma
Thierry Lecat – Business Manager Western Europe – Advanta seeds
Raphael Van Hyfte – Business Development and Marketing Manager – Semences de Provence
11:45 – Sorghum Lobbying to international Institutions, testimony and perspectives
Testimony of international lobbying for sorghum
Nate Blum – Chief Executive Officer – Sorghum United Foundation
12:00 – Conclusion of the congress
Closing of the Congress – Sorghum ID
12:15 – Lunch
13:30 – Dedicated time and area for B to B meeting
Workshop feed
14:00 – SWOT analysis for feed
Clarifying common misconceptions about sorghum through a SWOT analysis, highlighting its resilience and alignment with European sustainability goals
Thierry Lecat – Business Manager Western Europe – Advanta seeds
14:30 – Composition of the grain sorghum and its use in feeding industry
Markus Wiltafsky-Martin – Managing Director – Evonik Industries
15:00 – Nutrition for poultry & swine
Sorghum as a feed ingredient for monogastrics
Dr Varga Orsolya – R&D Manager – Bonafarm-Bábolna Takarmány Kft.
15:30 – Sorghum in pork feeding – the main plus and contra
Sorghum in pig nutrition: overview of main advantages and drawbacks
Marcin Sońta – Assistant Professor Department of Animal Breeding and Nutrition – Warsaw University of Life Sciences
16:00 – 16:30 Break
16:30 Introduction of sorghum feed, the Italian example of the Parmigiano Reggiano consortium
Gabriele Gasbarrini – Head of business development | RV Venturoli
17:00 – Vertical integration of feed production with sorghum
Strategic insight into vertically integrated sorghum-based feed production, with the Hungarian model
Dr. Kovács István Dezső – Director crop trade Department – Kite
17:30 – Use of sorghum in pet food recipes
Petfood industry, recipes used to prepare the dry/wet food for pets and why sorghum is not in the recipe. The recent change in the recipe by using sorghum and feedback from end users.
Cristian Andrei – CEO – United Petfood represented by
Peter Katai – Sales Director Hungary – United Petfood
Workshop food
14:00 – Sorghum farming
Key insights on integrating sorghum into regenerative agriculture, boosting biodiversity and soil health, and its role in both animal feed and human food
Dr. Zoltán Gergácz – Chairman of the Board / Agricultural Engineer – Kányai and Nágocsi Agricultural Ltd
14:30 – Sorghum breeding
General aspect and specific about food purpose, focused on protein content
Jöel Alcouffe – Head of Sorghum Breeding – RAGT 2n
15:00 – Sorghum milling
The crucial aspect of sorghum flour: milling, pregelatinization, flakes
Beatrice Saggiorato – Sales Account and Operations Manager – La Veronese Molino e Riseria Martini
15:30 – Sorghum transformer / innovation
How innovate with sorghum-based products by asserting clean label and healthy formulations: the ORI approach
Mohamed Zellama – Founder and CEO – ORI Sorgho Smartfood
16:00 – 16:30 Break
16:30 – Sorghum food processing evidence that sorghum is a strategic ingredient for the food industry
From breakfast to dinner, a huge variety of Sorghum food
Monia Caramma – Sustainable Food Researcher – Monia Caramma
17:00 – Sorghum food case history
Experience sharing: pasta, crackers, other product implementation on French Market
Aurelien Amir – Co-founder – Vieille Graine
17:30 – Buyers and supermarkets POV
Aventure bio. Will talk about the selection process of sorghum products in large retailers and the importance of shelf rotation
Online speaker – Simon Le Fur – Co-founder – Aventure Bio
Workshop diversification
14:00 – Feeding the future: A smart choice for a changing climate
Ideotypes seed varieties (mono vs multicut, BMR, PPS, feed value) and uses (milk, livestock, industrial use), silage management (silo, cut etc.)
Dr. Jóvér János – Chief Plant Breeder, PhD – Alfaseed Kft.
14:30 Sorghum breeding
Sorghum breeding for heterosis and perenniality at ICRISAT: Progress and outlook
Ephrem Habyarimana – Principal scientist – Sorghum Breeding– ICRISAT International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
15:00 – Bioenergy production, which variety to use?
Varieties ideotypes depending on final use, and Brazilian examples
Rafael Parrella – Researcher – Embrapa Milho e Sorgo
15:30 – Biogas in Europe: focus on EU regulation
RED directive, impact on agriculture and valorization for biogas
Tadeg Grall – Consultant – GRDF
16:00-16:30 – Break
16:30 – Sorghum as a livestock for Biogas production in Europe
Summer cropping dedicated to biogas production: interests and limits, cost efficiency, crop rotation
Bertrand Duprat – Farmer – Association Agriculteurs Méthaniseurs de France
17:00 – Bioethanol: International overview
Worldwide overview: 1st generation ethanol application, 2nd generation advancements and efficiency. Alcohol to Jet technology project.
Francis Borges – Head of Sustainable Value Chain Projects | Advanta Seeds
17:30 – Round table: exchanges around global vision of sorghum development towards bioenergy production
What are the main constrains in the different areas and how to overcome them? Why did sorghum became popular in those areas?
John Duff – Founder – Serō Ag Strategies
Francis Borges – Head of Sustainable Value Chain Projects – Advanta Seeds
Rafael Parrella – Researcher – Embrapa Milho e Sorgo
Miklos Fazekas – Co-manager – Alfaseeds Kft.
