AgriVision 2023 illuminates the pathways to future-proof proteins

July 6, 2023

3 minute read

More than 300 delegates representing every segment of the feed-to-food value chain gathered at AgriVision, June 26-28, in Noordwijk aan Zee, the Netherlands, to reinvent, discuss and debate protein pathways future-proof. Leaders from the forefront of industry, R&D, agrotechnology, policy and consumer behavior shared emerging insights, moderated group conversations, and challenged attendees to take action to meet an expected 70% increase. % of protein demand by 2050.

Nutreco COO David Blakemore opened AgriVision, noting that the current moment offers an opportunity for collaboration and innovation to accelerate along the feed-to-food value chain.

The good news is that the people in this room today have incredible skills and potential to make a difference, Blakemore said. As players in the feed-to-food value chain, today’s threats will push us to be better, and what we do in the coming years will have a significant impact on the future of the planet. AgriVision continues to be a platform for us to unite and drive transformation forward.

Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever and active climate analyst, author and contributor to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, made key remarks and inspired delegates to apply a sharply positive perspective to rethink the future of protein from a linear production model towards a collaborative approach.

We are literally playing with the future of humanity,” Polman noted. The world has been incredibly flexible and has increased its capacity to absorb our CO2 emissions, but it is running out and we are very close to a negative tipping point.

He urged AgriVision delegates to rethink the future of protein and create the more sustainable, collaborative and transformative partnerships now needed to address the burning challenges.

The cost of not acting has gotten significantly higher than the cost of acting, and being less bad is no longer good enough, Polman cautioned.

He observed that companies that implement such a mindset shift increasingly differentiate themselves and outperform their peers.

During a panel discussion, attendees considered how a surge in climate-focused food labels is raising the concerns of regulators and consumers about greenwashing. As advances in artificial intelligence (AI) accelerate, panelists also looked at how AI is impacting the feed-to-food industry today and discussed how AI will affect decisions along the way. the value chain in the future.

Today’s consumers increasingly influence the way the food they buy is produced and marketed. Recognizing this trend, Imke van Gasselt, VP Health & Sustainable Diets at Ahold Delhaize, shared retailers’ views on efforts to improve transparency in the supply chain.

Other areas of the program deepened Nutrecos’ research and development efforts to discover new protein sources that can reduce environmental pressure on the planet. From a supply chain perspective, Abhay Hanjura, co-founder of Licious, gave a Bollywood-inspired presentation, The Great Indian Meat Story, to describe how India is rolling out meat-on-demand delivery channels. Brett Stuart, president of Global AgriTrends, offered a deep dive into the data, sharing research findings that will influence protein production, retail, consumption and circular patterns in the future. Dr. Keith Sumption, Chief Veterinary Officer of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, made cautionary remarks on the risks posed by the spread of zoonotic diseases. Collectively, nearly 20 speakers commented on ideas, innovation, and strategies for harnessing politics, technological innovation, and social tailwinds to meet projected protein demand over the next half-century.

Commenting on the event, Fulco van Lede, CEO of Nutreco said: As we host the 11^th Gathering of AgriVision, Nutreco and Trouw Nutrition are honored to organize and host a collaborative forum that combines provocative ideas for tomorrow with practical ideas that can be implemented today. As we look forward to the mid-century milestone, this meeting provides a venue to collaborate with stakeholders to reflect, restore and act towards our mission to feed the future safely, efficiently and sustainably.

Founded in 2000 by Nutreco and its livestock feed business line Trouw Nutrition, AgriVision is a biannual forum that focuses on critical issues affecting the global feed-to-food industry. More information about AgriVision can be found at AgriVision 2023 – Trouw Nutrition.