Meet Project ECHO Leaders: Monika Witek, PLANTPRESS

From Italy and Spain, we move on to Poland: home of the juiciest apples, the sweetest beets, and one of our ECHO Leaders, Monika Witek from Plantpress. As the head of the communications team, she makes sure that both professionals and the public alike are up-to-date on all things ECHO. But what are her own roots?

What is Plantpress? Can you tell us about the origins of the company?

For over 20 years, Plantpress operated mainly as a publishing house. To this day, we publish four printed magazines dedicated to professionals in the fields of gardening and agriculture: producers of fruit, vegetables, and ornamental plants, to name a few. We also publish a free agricultural newspaper targeting a wider audience. In our catalogue, you’ll find plant protection programs and many guides, including those written for gardening enthusiasts. In recent years, we have greatly expanded our digital department, running 6 websites, discussion groups, and apps developed with fruit and vegetable producers in mind. We organise our own events and are a valued media partner for many others. Our team has gained a lot of new competences, and we have become one of the leaders of the media industry in the agricultural sector in Poland.

What are the biggest challenges when it comes to communicating about environmental issues?

As I mentioned, our target groups are mainly professional fruit and vegetable producers. They are usually well-educated, use modern technologies, and are aware of the impact of their activities on the natural environment, including the soil. In Poland, most of them have been farming sustainably for years. This is also dictated by many regulations and requirements, including those from the European Commission. However, most owners of small farms need, first and foremost, information on where they can look for financial support for the pro-ecological solutions being introduced. This topic is constantly on our minds, and we’re doing our best to explain how the regulations should be interpreted to everyone’s benefit.

Are your readers concerned about issues related to soil health?

Soil health has been on our minds long before joining ECHO. As publishers, we aim to present good practices in the approach to soil treatment. Our editors and cooperating experts write about it in their articles and also speak during many meetings in which we participate. As part of our second project, supported by the EC, in which we inform about the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy, we are conducting a series of webinars. Soil-related topics are also present there. Webinar participants have taken part in many heated discussions. Unfortunately, a lot of them voice their dissatisfaction over the requirements of the European Green Deal. The same thing is happening in the agricultural environment across the EU. As Plantpress, we tailor the content to our audience and the prevailing mood.

What drew you to Project ECHO?

Once our company grew, the next natural stage of development was engaging in large communication projects. What we bring to the table is the opportunity to reach our target groups, which represent one of the largest agricultural sectors in Europe. Furthermore, we have just received confirmation that the third edition of our project under the IMCAP program has been approved by the European Commission for implementation. For years, we have been promoting sustainable agriculture, which is not possible without attention to the condition of the soil. Therefore, we were pleased to accept the invitation to participate in the ECHO project consortium.

What is your role in the project?

I coordinate the work of the Plantpress team. We are a leader in communication and dissemination. This is the first project from the Horizon program in which we (proudly!) participate. We work with an international consortium of 16 partners. In our work, we try to meet the communication needs of both joint and individual partners. Likewise, we have created basic communication tools, such as various graphics, the ECHO website, social media profiles, leaflets, banners, posters, and the first newsletter. These tools are constantly updated as the project develops. Currently, together with the other members of the consortium, we are working on promoting an open call for ambassadors. We also keep track of the events our partners organise and take part in all around Europe. Not to mention, if you are reading this, it means the second ECHO newsletter is now published! There is a lot to be done, and each task requires different competencies. That’s why we have a web developer, a graphic designer, content creators and IT support on our team. Additionally, we coordinate activities involving citizen scientists in Poland and, in the future, also in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Although I have been involved in projects, especially for non-governmental organizations, for over 20 years, ECHO has given me a lot of new experiences.

Speaking of experience, how did you find yourself in this line of work?

Even though I am a graduate of the Agricultural University of Kraków, I spent most of my professional life in a large company (the second in Poland) responsible for organizing international trade fairs and conference events with very different profiles. Included in our event calendar were agricultural fairs, which I started gravitating towards. Being involved in such events allowed me to familiarise myself with various organisations and industry experts. This resulted in long-term cooperation and restored my interest not only in agriculture but in various processes occurring in nature as well as in the soil, in a more professional way.

It seems like there’s always something going on in the world of agriculture. How do you unwind after a hard day’s work?

I’ve been a nature lover since my early youth, and going on treks and trips is my favourite way to relax. I especially like areas with natural water reservoirs, where I like to swim, even if the water is still pretty cold! An unforgettable experience was bathing in the hot Reykjadalur river in Iceland, which we toured with my daughter in a camper, or swimming in the cool waters of Lake Garda in Italy.

I guess everyone needs a good wash after working with soil all day. Thank you very much!