Paolo De Castro
| Paolo De Castro | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Minister of Agriculture | |
|
In office 17 May 2006 – 8 May 2008 |
|
| Prime Minister | Romano Prodi |
| Preceded by | Gianni Alemanno |
| Succeeded by | Luca Zaia |
|
In office 21 October 1998 – 25 April 2000 |
|
| Prime Minister | Massimo D'Alema |
| Preceded by | Michele Pinto |
| Succeeded by | Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
2 February 1958 San Pietro Vernotico, Italy |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Alma mater | University of Bologna |
Paolo De Castro (born 2 February 1958) is an Italian politician, and former Italian Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies. In 2009 he was elected to the European Parliament, and currently serves as chair of the parliament's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development.
He has also served as professor of Agricultural Economics at the Veterinary Medicine University of Bologna. He is married and has two sons.
Born in San Pietro Vernotico, Apulia, as a son of farmers, De Castro grew up on the family’s 36-hectare farm. In 1980 he graduated at Bologna getting the maximum mark in Agricultural Science.
From January 2001 to May 2004, De Castro chaired the "Nomisma" Economics' Studies Institute. He also chaired the Qualivita Foundation and currently runs the International Agricultural Policy Magazine edited by the Informatore Agrario in Verona. He is professor at the Agriculture Academy of Bologna, the Georgofili Agricultural Economics Academy of Florence, the Agriculture Academy of Pesaro and the National Academy of Treja. From 1996 to 1998 he was economic advisor of Prime Minister Romano Prodi and Economic Advisor of the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Resources, Michele Pinto. Since 1 June to 31 December 2000 he was appointed as special Advisor of the EU Commission's President. From 21 October 1998 to 25 April 2000 he served as Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Policies in both Governments chaired by Massimo D'Alema. On November 2000, President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi awarded him the "Cavaliere di Gran Croce al merito della Repubblica Italiana"merit honour. He is scientific coordinator of the International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) in Paris, and scientific Director of the Genio Rurale Magazine: a magazine on goods evaluation and territory science of Edagricole. He is also member of the Italian Agricultural Economists' Society (SIDEA) and of the European Agricultural Economics Association (EAEA).
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