Ioanna Panayiotou

Commissioner for Environment, Cyprus; Member, Future Earth Regional Center Advisory Committee

Ioanna Panayiotou was born in Limassol, Cyprus in 1962. She is Biologist – Wine producer, graduate of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, holding also a MSc degree in Marketing from the Mediterranean Institute of Management (1979-1985). She founded the winery ‘I.P. Gaia Oinotechniki Ltd’, at Ayios Amvrosios village, in Limassol district. She cultivates her vineyards organically since 1986. The first bio-cultivated estate in Cyprus was her own vineyard, the grapes of which produced the first biological Cypriot wine. She is a member of the Cyprus Organic Farmer Association, the Cyprus Wineries Association and the Cyprus Federation of Business and Professional Women. Mrs Panayiotou is an active member of environmental and ecological organizations since she was a student. She focused especially on issues related to green development of degraded areas, alternative tourism, healthy nutrition and the production and promotion of biological and local products. She also actively contributed to the effort to increase the participation of women in commons. She is one of the founding members of Cyprus’ Green Party. She was a candidate MP of Limassol in the Parliamentary Elections in 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011, and a candidate MEP in the elections of 2004 and 2009. In March 2009, she was elected as Secretary General of the Green Party.