World-class inspirational speakers are reimagining the future of food with new thinking and an ambitious agenda at the inaugural Food Matters Summit on 19-20 November at ExCeL London
Sponsored by KSM-66, the Summit is the first high-level gathering of its kind in the UK. Confirmed speakers include Kate Cole (global head of nutrition, Nestle), Darren O’Sullivan (director of plant protein Europe, Kerry Europe & Russia), Dr Neta Lavon, (vice-president of R&D, Aleph Farms), and Gil Horsky (director of innovation snack futures, Mondelez International).
This international line-up will challenge conventional thinking as they aim to connect organisations across the food supply chain, bring together disruptive innovators and established multinational companies to accelerate innovation.
Henry Dimbleby, who is leading an independent review into the UK’s food system, will be one of the keynote Summit speakers: “No part of our economy matters more than food. It is vital for life, and for pleasure. It shapes our sense of family, community and nation. “We need to come together, through events like the Food Matters Summit, to explore new ideas and share our understanding of what is working well, at home or abroad, that we can learn from.”
Shaping the future
Over two days, the Summit programme will focus on three central themes:
• The Food Revolution’ will examine how we can feed 10 billion people
by 2050.
• Feeding our future’ looks at the consequences of an unprecedented
level of food options.
• ‘Tomorrow’s Innovation’ investigates how innovations and tech can
be utilised.
Sessions include a futuristic look at ‘How can science save us’ where speakers, including Dr Kurt Schmidinger founder of Austrian-based Future Food, will investigate negative public perception around innovation: “For some reason, food choices are a very conservative thing. In other areas of life, people tend to be much more flexible – the internet, mobile phones, smartphones took one, two or three years for the triumphal procession of these life-changing innovations.”
Facing up to such significant challenges is central to the Summit’s agenda. Pete Pearson (senior director, Food Loss and Waste, WWF US) will explain why tackling waste is fundamental for a sustainable food future: “If we lose the pollinators, clean water and healthy soil, we will not be able to feed ourselves, so addressing waste is critical. We have to find a balance with nature while still feeding humans.” And in a thought-provoking session looking at how to get people to change how they consume food broadcaster, Dr Alice Roberts will join philosopher AC Grayling and others to explore why our relationship with food is so complicated.
International connections
Briony Mansell-Lewis, director of Food Matters, comments: “The Summit is a forum for new ideas and big thinking and is relevant for anyone with an
eye on the long-term future of the food industry. “Throughout the Summit, there are opportunities through the flexible Leaders Lunch networking package and tailored one-to-one SummitConnect introduction service to forge cross-sector connections with inspirational thinkers and influence the future of the global food and drink industry.
For a full speaker line-up, more information about SummitConnect and to book a Leaders Lunches package, visit www.foodmatterslive.com/summit
