During an extraordinary General Assembly on January 19th, Jannes Maes announced he would step down from his Presidency to pursue a new professional opportunity. Jannes was replaced on the same day by his Vice-President, Samuel Masse, who will uphold the Presidency until the next CEJA Board elections in June 2021.
Jannes Maes had been a member of the CEJA board since 2015 and was elected for his second term in June 2019. “Representing the community of European young farmers over the past few years has been a challenging but rewarding mandate to fulfil”, Jannes comments.
“It is through the dedication of all people involved in our Europe-wide structure, young farmers and members of staff, that we are able to speak in one voice despite our internal diversity”, he continues, stressing that “it was and remains crucial that policymakers take into account the difficulties, dynamics and ambitions of those who are considered as “gumboots on the ground” in the challenges of our time” before wishing his successor all the best.
The French Samuel Masse is a winegrower in Saint Bauzille de Montmel, Hérault, working with his brother Geoffrey to continue what was their grandparents’ farm. The “Domaine de Favas” consists of 20 hectares of organic vines (PDO Languedoc and PGI Pays d’Oc). Samuel studies viticulture and did an internship in the USA on vineyard management. He got involved early on in the Jeunes Agriculteurs (JA) organization in his region, starting as Secretary General of JA Hérault and Treasurer of JA Languedoc Roussillon. In 2018, Samuel became member of the National Board of the JA and was in charge of European and international issues , food chain and quality labels.
About CEJA
The European Council of Young Farmers (CEJA) represents the political interests of the +/- 2 million young farmers in Europe. Its main objectives are to facilitate the installation of young farmers, to inform and train them and to act as a forum for the communication and dialogue between them.
Source: CEJA press release
