On 26 February, at the 26th Congress of the Chamber of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania (CoA), a historic decision was made: Algimanta Pabedinskienė was elected Chair for the 2026–2030 term of office. She is the first woman in the Chamber’s entire history to lead the organisation. Symbolically, this decision was taken in the year marking the Chamber’s centenary and during the International Year of Women Farmers.
Experience, cohesion and strategic direction
Algimanta Pabedinskienė holds a Master’s degree in Management and Business Administration and has built an extensive professional career spanning the business, academic and public sectors. From 2012 to 2016, she served as Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania, overseeing labour market policy, social affairs, youth and family policy, disability issues, gender equality and international cooperation, and representing Lithuania at EU and international levels.
She has also led business organisations, worked as a lecturer, project developer and consultant, and is actively engaged in non-governmental organisations. She currently serves as Chair of the Lithuanian Women Farmers’ Association and is a member of the Council of the Chamber of Agriculture. Her areas of expertise include strategic and institutional governance, advocacy and representation of interests, negotiations, communication and organisational development.
During the elections, particular emphasis was placed on the need to strengthen the Chamber’s strategic role, consolidate the efforts of diverse member associations, and reinforce their voice in shaping agricultural and rural policy.
A new team – youth and regions
In forming her leadership team, the newly elected Chair nominated as Vice-Chairs:
• Vytenis Grigas, Board Member of the Lithuanian Young Farmers and Youth Union;
• Andrzej Kulevič, Head of the Farmers’ Association of the Šalčininkai District.
This decision signals a clear direction: to enhance youth representation, ensure regional balance within the organisation, and foster unity across the entire Chamber community.
Strong competition and presentation of competencies
The election also featured Mindaugas Maciulevičius, Board Member of the Lithuanian Agricultural Cooperatives Association “Cooperation Path”, and Saulius Daniulis, Head of the Lithuanian Association of Organic Farms.
In presenting their candidacies, the nominees highlighted managerial competencies, experience in the agricultural sector, collaboration with associations, national and international representation, and the ability to unite organisations and strengthen their influence in decision-making processes. The discussions reflected differing emphases – from reviewing the Chamber’s functions and clarifying its institutional role to more actively engaging member-experts in its activities.
Gratitude for eight years of leadership
The Congress expressed its appreciation to Dr Arūnas Svitojus, who led the Chamber for eight years, and to Vice-Chairs Vytautas Buivydas and Algis Baravykas for their consistent work in strengthening the organisation’s authority and representing farmers’ interests at both national and international levels.
A broad and diverse community
Once again, the Chamber of Agriculture demonstrated that it is a broad-based organisation: its membership includes not only representatives of the agricultural sector, but also community and cultural organisations, associations of food producers and processors, forestry and viticulture representatives, business organisations, and custodians of national heritage.
The 26th Congress marks the beginning of a new phase – with renewed leadership, broader inclusiveness, and a clear ambition to strengthen the Chamber of Agriculture as a unifying and mobilising organisation for the rural and agri-business community.