On the 26th - 27th of September last Aarhus Food & Bio cluster in Denmark held the Food & Bio Global Summit 2023. The main theme of the conference was sustainability in food production with a focus on innovation. As was stated at the conference, the world's food systems have reached the limit of endurance, especially related to the effects of weather disturbances; global warming, floods, sea level rise, droughts, etc. Over 170 participants from around the world attended the conference which was packed with great lectures.
Eitt mikilvægasta stef ráðstefnunnar var að efla til alþjóðlegs sáttmála um matvæli eða Global Food Alliance, til að tengja og efla sustainability og nýsköpun í matvælaframleiðslu. Þessi sýn er mikilvæg í ljósi Parísarsáttmálans um að halda hækkun hitastigs jarðar undir 2°C miðað við meðalhitastig við upphaf iðnvæðingarinnar. Einnig nær sáttmálinn til þess að efla getu ríkja heims í að takast á við afleiðingar loftlagsbreytinga.
One of the most serious consequences of climate change is the impact on the health and ability of ecosystems to produce food. The degradation of ecosystems will therefore lead to food shortages and famine. The idea behind the conference on the International Food Pact is that with the consensus and cooperation of everyone who works or is involved in research, innovation or political decisions, it will be possible to prevent disasters such as the loss of ecosystems and famine.
The conference had a dense program of lectures related to the above issues; cooperation, innovation, research and development. Connection meetings, speed dates, were also held, where each participant could connect with other participants in their professional field and thus expand their network.
The conference was well attended, and participants from around the world could be seen. One conference guest came from Iceland on behalf of Matís and she was very happy with the conference and the presentation. The issue of food production and the ability of ecosystems to withstand the challenges of the future ie. population growth and ecosystem decline due to catastrophic global warming is one of the most important challenges of our time.
The innovation and technological development that has taken place in the food industry is not only fast but also extremely interesting. Now, for example, it is possible to process meat from animal cells (cell-based proteins) and grow algae using high-tech methods, etc. There are challenges ahead in food production, but at the same time, solutions are being diligently worked on through the development of technological solutions and innovation alongside sustainable development and the strengthening of the circular economy. More information about the Food & Bio Global Summit 2023 can be found here: