In the end of June, at the event "The Future of Food – Envisioning our Food Systems”, we welcomed to Sonae Maia Business Centre representatives of the European Commission and multinational companies including retail operators, researchers and entrepreneurs, to discuss themes such as the importance of circular economy, nutrition, food science and logistics in the future of food. For two days, over 100 participants, from 54 organisations and nine nationalities, met to discuss themes that are central for Sonae and that, we hope, represent the kickstart to a growing awareness of the effort made by all the intervenients in this domain.
Food is one of our society's greatest challenges, influenced by an increasing population, the impoverishment of soils, subnutrition and malnutrition of the populations and food waste, among many other realities.
To face these challenges, we believe in the reinforcement of collaboration throughout the whole food chain, including operators both inside and outside the traditional food systems. From the discussion between these experts came the conviction that decision-making will be growingly based on scientific knowledge, revolutionising the way we produce, acquire and consume food and treat and reuse its waste.
We are conscious that if we look into the future we must do it in a comprehensive way, through the focus on product development, understanding and anticipating consumers' needs, with effective logistical operations and considering sustainability, creating new research, development and innovation projects. There are several examples of that, from the development of new smart packages, the adoption of new sources of protein, product development using healthier ingredients, to using computer technology for a more convenient and democratic healthy nutrition, diminishing and reusing food waste and even in the conception of new logistics models, more effective and sustainable.
At Sonae we are certain that this kind of initiatives has a positive impact on our innovation ecosystem through the reinforcement of a collaboration network. We are also more and more focused on well-being and sustainability and we are aware of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. "The Future of Food – Envisioning our Food Systems” has certainly been the first step towards opening new horizons and creating joint projects and actions that seek to face the food system's great challenges.
Nuno Lopes Gama,
Head of Innovation and Future Tech da Sonae
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