The 28th edition of Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global analyzes the sector’s main challenges during a second day of talks on sustainability
Over 65 international experts from the sector have presented in the conference program of the first edition of the global Expo in Barcelona, which will come to a close tomorrow, Thursday 28 April
The economist Megan Greene has predicted that “Global demand for seafood should remain strong”, despite the increase in prices in the sector, in her Tuesday keynote address
The second day of the Conference program will cover topics on sustainability as a key factor for the evolution of the industry, featuring leading experts in the field
Barcelona – 27 April 2022 – The 28th edition of Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, produced by Diversified Communications, will continue to analyze today the main challenges faced by the sector as part of its Conference program. This Wednesday, sustainability will be the focus of many presentations, along with sessions on leadership and seafood business, the evolution of the fisheries and aquaculture markets, initiatives to counter the effects of climate change and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on world trade in seafood products, among others.
The first edition of the fair in the Catalan capital is being held at Fira Barcelona Gran Vía exhibition grounds until tomorrow, Thursday April 28. Its Conference program includes over 20 educational sessions and the participation of more than 65 leading international experts within the sector, from key policy makers and industry professionals to entrepreneurs, NGO leaders, and biodiversity and sustainability experts.
Sustainability, the main topic of the second day of conferences
The second day of the conference program kicked off today, Wednesday 27 April, with a sponsored session, ‘Seafood futures forum 2022′, whose objective is to understand how to address the urgent challenge of ending overfishing through new research and the development of sustainable programs and market trends applied to sea products. Throughout the morning, talks have been given by Rupert Howes, CEO of MSC; Nicolas Guichoux, MSC Programs Director; and Justin King CBE, leader in consumer facing businesses and former managing director of Sainsbury’s. The event has also included the round table discussion, ‘Eight years to save the ocean? Business power as a gear shift’, which featured leading figures from the seafood sector, such as Michaela Reischl, Head of CSR for LIDL Spain; José Luis Jauregui, Sustainability Manager at Echebastar; and Minna Epps, Director of IUCN’s Global Marine and Polar Program.
The presentation on ‘Eating up the oceans – How do we save our seas?’ has aimed to provide solutions to help change seafood consumption habits through insights from Michiel Bakker, Vice-president of Global Workplace Programs at Google, and Douglas Gayeton, co-founder of The Lexicon, amongst other participants. They have explained how, throughout last year and within the framework of The Lexicon, Google and the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative, over one hundred participants have met to create a connected market tool and build a more equitable food system.
In the afternoon, the conference on ‘Key drivers shaping sustainable value chains in the fishing industry’, with notable contributions from Clare Cavers, Senior Projects Manager for the charity organisation Fidra, and Antonello Romano, Senior Public Affairs Manager of the renewable products for packaging provider Stora Enso, will address the key challenges faced by the fishing industry in terms of sustainability, such as the increase in the use of renewable materials in their value chains.
Trends and opportunities in international trade in fishery and aquaculture products, will be discussed today, as well as the importance of increasing transparency concerning human rights risks in marine supply chains. They will also reflect on the opportunities that a collaborative approach can offer the fishing and maritime industry, where economies of scale can be developed and product sustainability improved.
First day focused on economic analysis, business opportunities and innovation
Yesterday’s conference program began with a keynote address “Economic Outlook for 2022” by Megan Greene, a global economist, columnist for the Financial Times and Senior Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School In her presentation, Greene shed light on the challenges that the global economy is facing, intensified by a strong crisis in the supply chain, an inflationary trend present especially in the United States and in the European Union “which will continue suffering the rises of the energy costs” because of the conflict on the continent. The Financial Times columnist also shared her forecasts on the evolution of the seafood sector. She noted that although prices in the sector are increasing slightly, “global demand for these products should remain strong.”
An analysis of new business opportunities, emerging markets and changes in consumer behavior in the new pandemic era followed, with the presentation ’From revolution to evolution: the fishing and aquaculture market in a post Covid-19 world’. Experts such as Alessandro Pititto, Project Manager at EUMOFA; Audun Lem, Deputy Director at the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division of FAO; and Christophe Vande Weyer, Policy Officer at the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission, took part, amongst others.
Jon Wright, Head of Retail at IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution), in his presentation on ‘Omnichannel retailing: Five trends putting the store at the centre of retailer strategies’, highlighted the acceleration in the application of omnichannel strategies, which use all of the communication channels of a company in an integrated and synchronous way. He also discussed how retailers are increasing their focus on fresh produce and how they interact with buyers on key trends such as sustainability and health.
Wright illustrated his talk with real-world examples of disruptive retailers in the industry. He went from mentioning a 24-hour physical store in Paris, to a computer vision-based solution that intends to help stores better control shelves, and commented on smart displays to attract customers.
Amy Novogratz, co-founder and managing partner of Aqua Spark, the largest investment fund in sustainable aquaculture in the world, participated, along with other specialists, in the session on ‘Venture capital and technologies advancing the seafood sector‘. The innovations of the sector’s leading entrepreneurs, who are transforming the food system and fighting climate change in the oceans, were also assessed.
Yesterday’s program ended with ‘Looking forward: seafood as part of the solution for food security and climate change‘ by Javier Garat, President of Europêche and the International Coalition of Fisheries Associations (ICFA). He discussed the reasons why seafood provides the healthiest animal protein on the planet and how its production causes a lower carbon footprint.
Final session of the Conference program
Tomorrow, Thursday 28 April, the last day of the 28th edition of Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, will also include the session ‘10 Years of pre-competitive collaboration in the seafood supply chain: What have we learned?’. Quentin Marchais, Sustainable Sea Product Team Manager at ClientEarth, will chair contributions such as that of Carmen Gonzalez-Valles, European Union Markets Director in the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership. The Conference aims to analyze the increase of collaborative platforms, such as the Sustainable Seafood Coalition in the United Kingdom and the Sustainable Fishing Platform in Spain, whose objective is to maintain the health of ocean and aquatic ecosystems, improve the livelihoods of fishing and fish farming and ensure food supply.
The last day will feature presentations such as ‘Riding the ESG wave: sustainability-focused investors zero in on aquaculture’ by Howard Tang, CEO of Peritus Capital, which will bring the three-day conference to an end. In this presentation, the crucial importance of Environmental, Social and Governance investment (ESG) in the aquaculture industry will be analysed. It will discuss how sustainability is boosting innovation in the industry and challenging conventional short-term investment horizons with new production methods.
To access the Conference program, which is in English, visitors must register for a badge More information about the conferences can be found on the event website.
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For further information about Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, visit: https://www.seafoodexpo.com/global/.
NB: The Conference program is subject to change. Be sure to check updates on the event website.
*To request interviews with speakers or to get more information about the Conference program, please get in touch with the media contacts at the end of the press release.
**Conferences will be available in video format for purchase. Liaise with media contacts for further information.
About Seafood Expo Global and Seafood Processing Global
Seafood Expo Global and Seafood Processing Global form the world’s largest seafood trade event. Thousands of buyers and suppliers from around the world attend the annual, three-day exposition to meet, network and conduct business. Attending buyers represent importers, exporters, wholesalers, restaurants, supermarkets, hotels, and other retail and foodservice companies. Exhibiting suppliers offer the newest seafood products, processing and packaging equipment, and services available in the seafood market. SeafoodSource.com is the exposition’s official media. The exposition is produced by Diversified Communications, the international leader in seafood-industry expositions and media. www.seafoodexpo.com/global
About Diversified Communications
Diversified Communications is a leading international media company with a portfolio of face-to-face exhibitions and conferences, online communities and digital and print publications. As producers of these market-leading products Diversified Communications connects, educates and strengthens business communities in over 15 industries including: food and beverage, healthcare, natural and organic, business management and technology. The company’s global seafood portfolio of expositions and media includes Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, Seafood Expo Asia and SeafoodSource.com. Established in 1949 and headquartered in Portland, Maine, USA with divisions and offices around the world, Diversified Communications remains a privately held, third generation, family-owned business. For more information, visit: www.divcom.com
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