Dr. Konstantinos (Kostas) N. Baginetas was born in Lamia (Greece) in 1977. He graduated from the 5th High School of Lamia and studied Agronomy at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He continued his studies at Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in London on issues of Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (M.Sc.) and the University of Nottingham in matters of Interdisciplinary Development of Agro -environmental Sustainability Indicators (Ph.D.).
Since 2007 he works in the Directorate of Rural Affairs of Central Greece (based in Lamia) of the Decentralised Administration of Thessaly-Central Greece (former Directorate of Agricultural Development of the Region of Central Greece), where he is principally engaged with matters of agrotouristic development investment projects, investment projects regarding the modernization of agricultural holdings and projects focusing on young farmers entering agriculture in the geographic area of Central Greece. He has served as an officer-administrator of tens of Technical Assistance projects in the Special Managing Authority of the Region of Central Greece. At the same time he participated as a member of the Thematic Group for the Strategic Planning on “Innovation-Research-Training” of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food regarding the preparation of the programming period 2014-2020 and in Working Groups of the Geotechnical Chamber of Greece regarding the formulation of proposals within the Rural Development programming period 2014-2020. He has been a consultant of the Deputy Minister of Development and Competitiveness Mr. Ath. Skordas, and of the Alternate Minister of Finance Mr. Chr. Staikouras.
He has participated in numerous research and vocational training sessions abroad and in Greece. He has attended many workshops, seminars, national and international conferences, where he has presented research papers with considerable success. He has a significant number of scientific publications in international journals, edited volumes, proceedings of national and international conferences in Greek and English. He was a leader and a member of several European research programs and best practice exchange programs. He is an External Expert-Evaluator of the European Commission for the program “Horizon 2020” on issues of “Food Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry, Marine, Maritime Affairs and Bio-Economy”. He is a certified adult educator and has participated as an instructor in educational programs related to environmental education, environmental management, rural development and rural entrepreneurship. He is a member of numerous scientific and non-scientific Associations, he writes regularly in the local press of Lamia and appears in the local television channels. In the local elections of May 2014 he was a candidate for the Local Council of the Municipality of Lamia and he is an active member of the Municipal Consultation Committee of the Municipality of Lamia. Ha has been designated as Secretary Responsible for European Affairs in the Prefectural Steering Committee of the political party New Democracy in the Prefecture of Fthiotida. He has, also, participated as a candidate in the elections for the Management Board of the Geotechnical Chamber of Greece (GEOTEE), the Pan-hellenic Union of Agronomists as Public Servants (PEGDY) and the Association of the Decentralized Administration of Thessaly-Central Greece’s Employees.
He is married to Evangelia I. Bakogianni, a speech therapist, and have a son.
He speaks English and French.