Alexandre Cevallos, technical director at Lucta, has been elected the new president of FEFANA, the association representing the European feed additives industry.

Cevallos arrives at the post from Lucta, a producer of feed additives and flavours, where he serves as technical director. His candidacy drew on track record built in European and international trade associations, according to the announcement of his election.

The presidency places a technically grounded executive at the top of an association whose members operate in one of the most heavily regulated corners of the agri-input chain. Feed additives — from flavours and preservatives to specialty compounds — require authorisation before entering the European market, and the files that govern them move through evaluation and review cycles that shape both product pipelines and input costs for feed manufacturers and livestock producers downstream.

For Cevallos, the in-tray follows directly from his professional profile. A technical director by role, he brings to the presidency firsthand familiarity with the regulatory and scientific dossiers that determine whether and how products reach the market. His prior leadership positions in European and international trade associations add experience in coordinating industry positions across borders — the core work of a Brussels-facing federation.

The election signals continuity in one respect: FEFANA has again chosen a president who combines corporate responsibility at a member company with association-level experience. Lucta, his employer, is among the firms whose products depend on the authorisation framework the association engages with.

The change at the top comes as European livestock producers continue to manage tight margins, with feed representing the largest single input cost on most farms. Any shift in the pace or direction of feed additive regulation flows through to formulation costs, and from there to feed prices paid by integrators and independent growers alike.

Cevallos's dual background — technical direction inside a manufacturer plus association leadership in European and international forums — positions him to work both files: the scientific substance of product evaluations and the coalition-building needed to defend member interests across jurisdictions.

The association has not announced specific policy priorities tied to the transition, and Cevallos's immediate agenda remains to be set out in the coming weeks as he assumes the chair.

How he balances the technical rigour of his day job with the representational demands of the presidency will shape FEFANA's effectiveness in the authorisation reviews and trade discussions ahead.