The European edition of the Sustainable Foods Summit, which takes place in Amsterdam on 13-14 June, is set to include a major focus on new technologies and green packaging, according to organiser Ecovia Intelligence.
This year’s summit will for the first time investigate the disruptive influence of new technologies on sustainable food production and marketing.
Toby Pickard, head of insight, innovation and futures at IGD, will deliver a keynote presentation on digital trends and innovation, offering insights into the use of customer datasets, artificial intelligence and in-store machine learning.
Other topics include the use of analytical tools to combat food fraud, the benefits of blockchain for traceability, the creation of mobile apps for sustainable foods and the implications and risks of big data.
Green packaging innovations will once again take centre change at the Summit, as growing consumer awareness of plastic pollution keeps packaging at the top of the sustainability agenda for many food companies.
Up for discussion will be the use of life-cycle analysis to measure the environmental impact of packaging, studies on the eco-design approach and the use of sustainable materials.
Andy Sweetman of Futamura will show how the packaging company’s cellulose-based materials can be used in flexible packaging, while TerraCycle will provide details of its new Loop shopping and recycling platform to avoid single-use plastics.
Paul Hendriks of Dutch organics specialist Eosta will discuss the company’s Natural Branding concept. Used on organic fruits and vegetables, the laser mark has reportedly saved 6.3m plastic units and 396 tonnes of carbon emissions in its first 18 months.
Other speakers will cover the advent of plant-based butchers, foods in a circular economy, sustainability challenges and retail case studies.