Contacts

Contact us

EMMA4EU concluded in July 2026. If you are interested in the work of EMMA4EU and want to explore its research and development further, you can find all contact details below.

If you need general information about EMMA4EU, please write to Show Email

If your query relates to a specific country or organisation, you are welcome to contact the relevant reference person directly:

EMMA4EU, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, is an alliance dedicated to fostering deforestation-free supply chain management and supporting the implementation of the EUDR through training and knowledge exchange.

Italy

Etifor | Valuing Nature

Website: https://www.etifor.com/en/

Reference person:
Helena Leonel Ferreira
Project Manager at Etifor, specialized in the analysis of forest product supply chains and commodities at risk of deforestation. Helena is the EMMA4U project coordinator.

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Etifor | Valuing Nature is a highly specialized consulting firm providing solutions to the main socio-economic challenges within development and nature conservation projects. As spin-off company of the University of Padua (Italy) Etifor’s team works with a strong scientific approach, using innovative social and technological techniques, while ensuring the good governance and implementation of our proposed solutions. Their work leads to improving the economic, environmental and social benefits of policies, projects and investments for private corporations, civil society organizations and national governments.
Università degli Studi di Padova

Website: https://www.unipd.it/

Reference person:
Mauro Masiero
Associate Professor in Forest Policy and Economics at the Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture, and Forestry, University of Padova.

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The Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry (in Italian, TESAF) is a multidisciplinary department of the Università degli Studi di Padova (Italy), one of the oldest universities in the world. The department activity is strongly oriented to the study, conservation, effective management and sustainable use of agricultural, forest and natural resources. Overseeing scientific quality, TESAF department contributes significantly to training material and program development within the EMMA4EU project. Their pivotal role extends to executing tasks related to forest policy and economics.

Fòrema

Website: https://forema.it/it/

Reference person:
Gaia Galante
EU Project Manager and Designer

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Fòrema is the training and consulting company owned by Confindustria Veneto Est, the largest Italian industrial association (5.000 companies), based in Veneto Region (Padua). Since 1983 it has been designing and delivering training programmes, management consultancy and innovative services directly to the customers’ venues. Now it counts on around 60 employees supporting organizations and individuals, a growing network of around 1.500 trainers and consultants, and an effective ecosystem involving public and private institutions, companies and stakeholders. With an annual turnover of around 9.5 million €, in 2025 Fòrema has trained more than 30.000 people and realized 45.000 service hours involving more than 2.500 SMEs, covering a wide range of key topics, with notable specializations in the field of: smart manufacturing, organizational development and people management, ESG sustainability strategies, process digitalization and AI solution implementation. In the project Fòrema is responsible for quality assurance and monitoring activities and co-develops and delivers with WUR and PbN the EUDR VET training course.

Germany

Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg

Website: https://uni-freiburg.de/en/

Reference person:
Metodi Sotirov
Senior Researcher and Assistant/Associate Professor at the Chair of Forest and Environmental Policy, University of Freiburg.

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Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg is one of the oldest and most renowned universities in Germany and the research activities of the professorships within the Institute of Forest Sciences, directly involved in the project, have a focus on the forest, its protection and sustainable use. As project managers, they contribute to various tasks, including research activities, policy consultancy, and supporting the development of training programs within the EMMA4EU project.

OpenForests

Website: https://openforests.com/

Reference person:
Alexander Watson
Trained forester with a background in finance and the co-founder and CEO of OpenForests, combining expertise in sustainable forestry, impact communication, and ethical investment.

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OpenForests builds solutions and technology at the service of people and nature. The company develops tools for forest restoration and conservation initiatives to manage their data, communicate their impact openly, immerse stakeholders in the place of the project, and build networks of supporters. In the project, OpenForests team ensures effective reporting, monitoring, and evaluation. They contribute significantly to research quality and the development and delivery of training materials.

The Netherlands

Wageningen University & Research

Website: https://www.wur.nl/en

Reference person:
Jelle Behagel
Associate professor with the Forest and Nature Conservation Policy Group (FNP) of Wageningen University.

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Wageningen University & Research (WUR) is a collaboration between Wageningen University and the Wageningen Research foundation. This union of expertise leads to scientific breakthroughs that can quickly be put into practice and be incorporated into education. The WUR team –  with a focus on zero deforestation commitments, commodity trade, and environmental governance –  brings into the project expertise in understanding the social and political aspects of forestry. The team plays a crucial role in various tasks, including reviewing research activities and supporting the implementation of training.

AidEnvironment

Website: https://aidenvironment.org/

Reference person:
Marco Garcia
Geographic Information Systems Coordinator Deforestation-free Supply Chains at AidEnvironment.

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AidEnvironment is a not-for-profit sustainability research, strategy and implementation organisation working to achieve transformative sector change. The organisation implements sustainable solutions to help protect and restore ecosystems and improve livelihoods in agricultural and forest landscapes. In the project, AidEnvironment’s team brings their practical experience and contributions from the field to the training programme and research, covering technical teaching, as well as training entrepreneurship and innovation activities.

Denmark

Preferred by Nature

Website: https://www.preferredbynature.org/

Reference person:
Pernille Hvid Pedersen
Administrative coordinator & project manager

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Preferred by Nature (PbN) is an international non-profit organisation working with smallholders, foresters, businesses, NGOs, and governments to support better land management and business practices that benefit people, nature, and climate in 100+ countries. Their focus on EU-funded projects related to climate change, land management, and sustainability indicates a commitment to addressing crucial global challenges. Leading the EMMA4EU project alliance, PbN also contributes to various work packages, ensuring the smooth development of tasks related to training and VET provision.
Copenhagen Business School

Website: https://www.cbs.dk/en

Reference person:
Kristjan Jespersen
Associate Professor at the Copenhagen Business School (CBS).

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Copenhagen Business School is one of the largest business schools in Europe, engaged in research areas including sustainable supply chains , corporate social responsibility and ESG investments. It will complement the agriculture and forestry expertise of the other universities and partners by bringing the business, commerce and management know-how to the training and research materials. Additionally, the CBS’s team will contribute to the EMMA4EU project through evaluation of monitoring data provided by the partners.

Uganda

Makerere University

Website: https://mak.ac.ug/

Reference person:
Michael Mbogga
Lecturer in the Department of Forestry, Biodiversity and Tourism of Makerere University.

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Makerere University is one of the oldest universities in Africa with a school of forestry and the only extra European partner in this project. The Makerere team plays a crucial role in various tasks and brings the experience, students and knowledge to the deforestation topics for what regards the countries producing the raw materials.