Fourth European Sorghum Conference – One Thousand and One Reasons to Invest in a Promising Crop

 

 

Between October 8 and 9, 2025, Budapest hosted the fourth European Sorghum Conference. Over two hundred industry actors, from twenty-seven countries (researchers, producers, industry operators, and decision-makers) answered to the invitation made by the Sorghum ID organisation and the FNPSMS, which had a clear message:

 

Two Days of Discussions on Innovations and Industry Outlook
Plenary sessions, round tables, and workshops were the backbone of the two days, which were rich in experience-sharing and discussions on applied research results and industry innovations.
In addition to the conferences and workshops, the event also included fifteen posters containing recent research results, industrial innovations, and academic work. The posters generated a lot of discussions among the participants and were another key moment of the conference.

  • Feed: experts underlined the nutritional value of sorghum for swine, poultry, and ruminants;
  • Food: researchers and entrepreneurs presented innovative products going from gluten-free bread to protein snacks.
  • Energy: speakers confirmed the potential of sorghum for the production of ethanol, biogas, and biomass.

 

International and Collaborative Dynamics

Hungary – the host of the conference – is the perfect illustration of a successful, complete sorghum industry, going all the way from hybrid breeding to processing. The story of how the industry was built at the national level was the topic of a round table titled “Success Story: Sorghum in Hungary”, where four major industry actors shared their strategies for an efficient and competitive production sector.

 

László Balogh – Crop manager | Lidea Seeds ; Gábor Feczák – CEO | Agroszemek Kft. ;
Fazekas Miklós – Co-manager | Alfaseed Kft. ; Dr. István Dezső Kovács – Director crop trade Department | Kite
discussed the advantages and the success of sorghum in Hungary.

 

Aside from the Hungarian focus, the conference had a definite international dimension: thus, experts from twenty-seven countries in Europe, America, and Africa debated about the progress made in the fields of research, processing, and market development of sorghum. The speakers included Florentino Lopez (Creando Mañana), Nate Blum (Sorghum United Foundation), and Ephrem Habyarimana (ICRISAT), who made valuable contributions regarding the industry’s developments worldwide.

Lastly, the presentation of the Swiss RiSorgo project, run by Monia Caramma and Tiziana Vonlanthen (Agroscope) illustrated the convergence between science, industry, and sustainability, by exploring the agronomic and economic potential of sorghum for tomorrow’s food chains.

 

 

 

A Promising Crop in Europe

To Pierre Pagès, Head of Sorghum ID,
“Sorghum combines all the qualities that will make it a crop with a future, in Europe”.

The key to the development of the industry consists in training, communication, and innovation, the aim being that of making the many assets of this resilient crop known.

 

 

 

 

 


Access all the experts’ presentations