Plenary: Delivering for Consumers
- The Global Politicization of Food and The Influence on Consumer Choices - Sonalie Figueiras, Green Queen Media
In an era when every bite feels political, the food we eat has become a mirror for our values, fears, and beliefs. Around the world, national agendas, trade tensions, and cultural debates are rewriting how consumers think about what’s on their plates, from climate policies that reshape protein innovation to social media narratives that turn breakfast choices into identity politics. In this plenary, Sonalie Figueiras explores how global politics and ideology are driving shifts in food systems and influencing the narratives consumers trust.
- Policy Levers for Transition Pathways - Dr. Stacy Pyett, Wageningen University & Research
Achieving large-scale change in both production and consumption patterns requires a comprehensive policy approach, with supporting policy instruments aligned at local, regional, national, and international level. Yet even without complete alignment, there are concrete steps that policymakers at each level can take now to advance progress. In this talk, we will consider policy options at different levels and discuss how their associated narratives are resonating across the political spectrum.
- Gastronomy as Innovation Catalyst - Mette Johnson, SPORA
In the race to create winning food solutions for the future, are we honoring what we all desire from food: food culture, joy and deliciousness? Too often the future is framed as a compromise - less meat, less pleasure - instead of offering an inspiring vision of a better food future that we are invited to join.
In this keynote, Mette Johnsen, CEO of Spora, explores how gastronomy can catalyze innovation by putting taste, storytelling, and cross-disciplinary collaboration at the center. What new possibilities emerge when chefs and scientists work side by side? And how can exploratory culinary experiments unlock entirely new pathways for food innovation?
