Vienna Soil Dialog
Soil First – Securing Europe’s Future from the Ground Up
Vienna, 23 March 2026

Stephan Büttner

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), AGRANA Beteiligungs-AG

Stephan Büttner is CEO of the international food and industrial goods group AGRANA Beteiligungs-AG and chairman of Food Industries Association of Austria. He gratuated in commercial sciences from the Vienna University of Economics and Business and subsequently worked for companies including KPMG Austria. After moving to Raiffeisen Ware Austria in 2001, Stephan Büttner became CEO of its subsidiary Ybbstaler Fruit Austria in 2004. He has been with AGRANA since 2012, became Group CFO in 2014, and was appointed Chairman of the Management Board in December 2023.

OPENING:​​​​​​​

Opening Remarks

Martin H. Gerzabek

President of the Christian Doppler Research Association

Professor of Environmental Toxicology and Isotope Application at the Institute of Soil Research, BOKU University Vienna; from 2009-2018 Rector of BOKU; now President of the Christian Doppler Research Association and a full member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, acatech and Academia Europaea, member of the University Council of TU Vienna. ~ 550 publications on soil development and functions, soil protection, plant nutrition, remediation of contaminated sites, radioecology

Panel 1:

Healthy Soil – What Makes Soil Resilient?

Harald Katzmair

Founder & Director, FAS Research

Harald Katzmair is the founder and director of the Vienna-based analysis and consulting company FAS Research. He is a leading expert in applied social network analysis, with a focus on power relations, innovation, and strategic situational analysis. As a social scientist, management philosopher, and entrepreneur, Harald Katzmair brings a visionary understanding of network science and resilience theory to strategic thinking and decision-making processes, helping to open up new perspectives for action.

FRAMING:

Conference Overview

Andrea Spanischberger

Ministry employee, Department for Plant Products
Federal Ministry (BMLUK), Austria

Andrea Spanischberg has been working at the Austrian Federal Ministry (BMLUK) in the Department for Plant Products since 1997. Their current responsibilities focus primarily on soil protection and fertilisation policy. They support the Advisory Board for Soil Fertility and Soil Protection based in the department and coordinate Austria’s implementation of the EU Directive on soil monitoring and soil resilience. In addition, they serve as Austria’s focal point for the European and Global Soil Partnership and co-chair the Austrian mirror group supporting the EU Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe” (Mission Soil).

Panel 1:
 

Healthy Soil – What Makes Soil Resilient?

Brian D. Fath

Department of Biological Sciences at Towson University

Brian D. Fath is a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Towson University, Maryland, USA and a Principal Research Scholar at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Laxenburg, Austria.  He has published over 200 research papers and held Fulbright Distinguished Chair positions at Parthenope University of Naples, Italy (2012) and Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic (2019).  Fath was also the 2016 recipient of the Prigogine Medal for outstanding work in systems ecology.

PANEL 1:

Healthy Soil – What Makes Soil Resilient?

Rafal Golebiowski

Chief Investment Officer, Manufacturing, Agribusiness & Services, International Finance Corporation

Rafal Golebiowski brings 28 years of experience in development banking across Europe, the Southern Caucasus, and Central Asia. His expertise spans the agribusiness, manufacturing, and service sectors, covering the entire value chain through debt and equity investments, advisory services, and privatization projects. He holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a MA in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.

PANEL 2:
 

Policy & Incentives: What Makes Soil Stewardship Economically Viable? 

Christian Holzleitner

Head of Unit, responsible for Land economy and Carbon removals at the EU, Directorate-General for Climate Action

Previously, he worked as Head of Unit for Finance for Innovation and Land Use and assistant to the Director-General for Climate Action covering all issues related to EU and international climate policy; and at the Directorate-General for Competition in the area of State aid for services of general economic interest in the postal, transport, and health sectors.

Before joining the European Commission, Christian worked as senior manager with KPMG Germany on international transfer pricing.

Christian is an economist and holds a PhD from the University of Linz (Austria).

Panel 2:

Policy & Incentives: What Makes Soil Stewardship Economically Viable?

Alfred Grand

Regenerative organic farmer at GRAND FARM, member of the Global Lighthouse Farms Network

Alfred Grand is an Austrian regenerative organic farmer at GRAND FARM, a 90-hectare research and demonstration farm. He is also General Director of VERMIGRAND Naturprodukte GmbH, specializing in compost, vermicompost, and peat-free soil substrates and is deeply involved in international research, innovation, and policy initiatives on soil health, biodiversity, and climate-resilient food systems. Alfred serves as an EU Mission Board alumnus for “A Soil Deal for Europe” and is a member of the Global Lighthouse Farms Network, where he collaborates with scientists and institutions across Europe to advance regenerative practices at scale.

Panel 3:
 

Innovation in Practice: What Works on the Ground

Gernot Bodner

Senior Scientist and Deputy Head of the Institute of Agronomy at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU).

Gernot Bodner is a Senior Scientist and Deputy Head of the Institute of Agronomy at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU). His research focuses on soil health, root ecology, and soil–water interactions with a strong emphasis on climate-resilient and sustainable crop production systems. He actively works at the interface of science and agricultural practice and has published widely in international journals.

Panel 3:

Innovation in Practice: What Works on the Ground?

Taru Sandén

Research Group Leader on Soils and Agroecology at Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety

Dr. Taru Sandén is a soil scientist and environmental researcher specializing in soil health, soil organic matter, and decomposition processes in agricultural systems. She works as a postdoctoral researcher at the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) in Vienna. Her research focuses on soil functions, fertilization practices, and stakeholder engagement. Dr. Sandén is actively involved in citizen science initiatives and is a key contributor to the Tea Bag Index, a globally applied method for assessing soil decomposition. She has participated in several European research projects and regularly collaborates with farmers, policymakers, and scientists to advance sustainable soil management.

Panel 3:

Innovation in Practice: What Works on the Ground

Ricardo Teixeira

Professor Ricardo Teixeira is an Assistant Professor at the University of Lisbon and co-founder of the startup VirtuaCrop

He is an environmental scientist working at the interface of environmental modelling and digital agriculture. With a background in soil organic matter dynamics and carbon sequestration in pasture systems, he coordinates projects such as the Operational Groups “SOLO” and “Agroclima”, which bridge traditional field methods with innovative digital technologies for soil health assessment. His work focuses on the use of remote sensing and machine learning to develop operational, verifiable soil health metrics.

Panel 3:
 

Innovation in Practice: What Works on the Ground

Christoph Thun-Hohenstein

Artistic Director of the Future Platform ReGenerativa

Christoph Thun-Hohenstein is cultural manager, curator, and author as well as Artistic Director of the future platform ReGenerativa. From 1999 to 2007, he was Director of the Austrian Cultural Forum New York. From 2007 to 2011, he served as Managing Director of departure, Vienna’s Agency for Creative Industries. From 2011 to 2021, he was General Director of the MAK – Austrian Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna. In 2014, he founded the Vienna Biennale for Change and directed it until 2022. He also initiated the Vienna Climate Biennale. From 2022 to 2025, he was Director General for International Cultural Relations at the Austrian Foreign Ministry.

Panel 4:

Narrative shift: How do we frame soil as Strategic/Soul Infrastracture?

Michael Rosenberger

Professor of Moral Theology
Catholic Private University Linz

Michael Rosenberger is a professor of moral theology with a strong focus on environmental ethics, sustainability, and animal ethics. His work bridges theology, ethics, and ecological responsibility, with particular attention to climate change, biodiversity, and food ethics. He is widely engaged in academic research, teaching, and public discourse on ethics and sustainability.

Panel 4:

Narrative shift: How do we frame soil as Strategic/Soul Infrastracture?

Dan Fiscus

Guest Senior Research Scholar,Systemic Risk and Resilience Research Group, Advancing Systems Analysis Program and Research and Development Scientist with Berkeley Springs Instruments, LLC. 

Dan Fiscus is an ecologist and research scientist living and working in the Appalachian Mountain region of Western Maryland in the US. He has published research in soil ecology; soil quality assessment; and ecological network analysis of industrial food systems. 

Panel 4:
 

Narrative shift: How do we frame soil as Strategic/Soul Infrastracture?

Valerie De Icco-Streibel

Partner & Operations Director at FAS Research

Valerie De Icco-Streibel is Co-Managing Director, Partner, and Authorized Signatory of FAS Research, an internationally leading company and pioneer in strategic network analysis. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from WU Vienna University of Economics and Business and a Master’s degree in International Studies from the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna. At FAS Research, she leads corporate communications and oversees the company’s operational management. She has contributed to numerous network analysis projects across sectors including foundations, pharmaceuticals, and industry, and regularly speaks on networks and strategic connectivity at international professional and industry conferences.

LIVE SITUATION ROOM:

"Connecting the Dots" - How can Europe reduce input dependency and strengthen alliances for coordinated soil action?

Paul Poledna

Head of Research & Development, FAS Research

Paul Poledna is Head of Research & Development at FAS Research, where he drives the strategic advancement of AI and new product development. With an academic background in physics and philosophy from the University of Vienna, he combines interdisciplinary thinking with several years of experience in artificial intelligence. At FAS Research, he is the intellectual force behind a new generation of AI-powered tools, advancing network analysis through cutting-edge AI approaches. His work focuses on the practical application of AI and the evolving relationship between human decision-making and artificial systems.
 

LIVE SITUATION ROOM:

"Connecting the Dots" - How can Europe reduce input dependency and strengthen alliances for coordinated soil action?