4th International Food Innovation Conference
19 June 2024
Speakers
In 2004, Nick Buettner and Dan Buettner teamed up with National Geographic and the world’s best longevity researchers to identify areas worldwide where people live measurably longer and better. In these "Blue Zones," they found that people reach age 100 at rates 10 times greater than in the United States. They call these characteristics the "Power 9". For the last 12 years, Buettner has been bringing these lessons to 80 communities around the United States. Last year, Netflix published the documentary "Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones", which follows his brother Dan Buettner to the original five "Blue Zones".
Claude Fischler is a sociologist and anthropologist with a central research interest in food habits and nutrition and is a Research Director Emeritus of the French National Centre for Scientific Research. He became one of the first social scientists looking at food as one major interdisciplinary topic: food cultures, food habits and eating patterns, beliefs, fears and crises, changes in consumption, health and sustainability issues and policies. Recently, Fischler’s favourite topic has been commensality: the sharing of food, the social dimension of meals, how social interactions determine or modify how we eat, what we eat and how much we eat.
Patrick Bühr is Head of R&D at Rügenwalder Mühle, a German family owned company founded in 1834 and a pioneer in plant based meat alternatives leading the German market since 2014. With his team he is responsible for product and technology innovation for all portfolios and oversees external partnerships with universities and innovation ecosystems. For his engagement for modern and sustainable nutrition he has been awarded “Thought Leader 2022” by the Boston Consulting Group and Handelsblatt.
Marta Messa has been part of the Slow Food movement since 2010. After coordinating agroecological projects in Africa, Messa opened the Slow Food office in Brussels, Belgium as a springboard for the movement’s advocacy work. Here she liaises with EU institutions on food policy, provides a platform for the Slow Food network and nurtures strategic partnerships with international organizations. Marta was elected Secretary General of Slow Food in July 2022.
Dunsford is a farmer, agri-food consultant and former owner of Charcutier Ltd, a specialist meats business that won the BBC Food and Farming Award for Best Food Producer in the UK. In 2016, he and Prof. Marianne Ellis (University of Bath) co-founded Cellular Agriculture Ltd, the first cultivated meat business in the UK. In addition to technology development the company has delivered feasibility studies for the likes of the European Space Agency and are currently supporting the Royal Agricultural University on the Cultured Meat & Farmers project with a focus on the future supply chain of agricultural inputs required for the production of cultured meat.
Eva Sommer is a food scientist and entrepreneur. As CEO and founder of Fermify, she develops plant- and cell-based foods. The startup, founded in 2021, produces cheese alternatives through microbial fermentation. She has also co-founded the cultured meat company Peace of Meat and served as chief product officer.
Morin-Forest’s startup Gourmey is a leading European cultivated meat company based in Paris, creating sustainable meat delights from state-of-the-art cell cultivation techniques combined with culinary arts. Nicolas has a professional background at the crossroads of consumer goods companies (L'Oréal) and the nonprofit sector (several environmental organizations). He was involved in several development aid missions, particularly in Latin America around the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices. Nicolas is a Science Po Paris graduate.
Jochen Pinsker has tracked European foodservice and consumer behaviour trends for more than 25 years. He sets the course for Circana’s foodservice industry tracking in Europe and the Middle East, while also supporting clients and partners as Circana’s foodservice industry advisor. Pinsker is a featured speaker at various global food industry events and corporate conferences. In 2022, he was selected by foodservice magazine as one of the 40 most influential personalities in the industry over the past 40 years.
Fuchsia Dunlop is a James Beard award-winning food writer and cook specialising in Chinese cuisine. She was the first Westerner to be trained as a chef at the Sichuan Higher Institute of Cuisine in the 1990s and has been researching Chinese culinary culture ever since. Fuchsia is the author of seven books including, most recently, "Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food", several of which have been published in Chinese translation. She is a regular contributor to FT Weekend and other publications and to radio and TV shows including Ugly Delicious and Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown.
Yannick Blättler is the founder and owner of NEOVISO AG, which specialises in Gen Z. The company regularly analyses 14-27 year olds in Switzerland, Germany and Austria with its own studies in various industries. They advise SMEs and corporations on how to deal with this young target group, develop strategic concepts for marketing and employer branding and create campaigns and videos. Blättler hosts his own "Navigator Podcast" where he discusses topics such as marketing, leadership and HR.
The Villars Institute was established in 2022 as a nonprofit foundation to accelerate the transition to a net zero and nature positive economy and to restore the health of the planet. Located in the Swiss Alps, the institute is a platform for systemic change and a place for intergenerational collaboration. The GDI has invited three Villars Fellows - solution-oriented young people aged between 13 to 19 years - to present their projects focused on food sustainability.
Christine Schäfer is a researcher and speaker at the GDI Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute. She analyses social, economic and technological trends, with a focus on food, consumption and retail.
Moderator
Florian Inhauser
Journalist and moderator
Switzerland
Journalist and moderator. Florian Inhauser presents the main newscast at Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, SRF and he is also the anchor of the foreign news magazine «#SRFglobal». With a master in history and anglistics he speaks English fluently. He has also an excellent reputation as an international correspondent, covering conflicts and crises around the globe.
Information
Date
19 June 2024
Venue
GDI Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute
Langhaldenstrasse 21
8803 Rüschlikon, Schweiz
Directions
Language
German and English, with simultaneous interpretation
Programme changes
The programme is subject to change. Should an event not take place, the participation fee will be refunded. Further claims are ruled out.
Cancellation
If you are unable to attend, please cancel your registration in writing. The participation fee will be refunded up to thirty days before the event. After that and up to five full working days before the event, we will charge 75%, and for cancellations after that we will charge the full amount. A substitute participant is always welcome.
Hotel reservation
To benefit from special rates at our partner hotels, please mention the code IFIC2024 when booking your room.
Hotel Sedartis, Thalwil: info@sedartis.ch
Hotel Belvoir, Rüschlikon: info@hotel-belvoir.ch
Arrival
From Zurich Airport
A taxi will take you to the GDI and the partner hotels in around 45 minutes at around CHF 100, depending on traffic. The S-Bahn will take you quickly and conveniently to Zurich and Thalwil station.
From Thalwil train station
A free shuttle bus is available for transfers between Thalwil train station / Hotel Sedartis and the GDI. It waits on the lake side of the station. A member of staff will welcome you on the spot.
Thalwil train station – GDI: 08.00 – 08.45, every 15 minutes
GDI – Thalwil train station: 17.15 – 19.00, every 15 minutes
The Hotel Belvoir is within walking distance of the GDI.
Parking
The parking deck is located a five-minute walk from the GDI at Zürcherstrasse 4, 8803 Rüschlikon. You can obtain a free exit ticket at the GDI.
Image and video recording
Please note that images and video recordings will be made during the event, and may be published permanently on the Internet after the event. You consent with this procedure by participating in the event.
Partner
The conference programme is co-designed in partnership with Orit Ronen GmbH.
Network partner
Media partner
Partner
Netzwerkpartner
Medienpartner
About the International Food Innovation Conference
The International Food Innovation Conference is an annual event on the future of food. It covers both technological and social changes in the food ecosystem. The aim is to place current trends in an overarching context and to develop long-term perspectives for all stakeholders involved. Under the overarching theme of "Building a sustainable food system", the all-day conference brings together thought leaders, experts and start-ups.
Participants
Participants
Speakers
Participants are decision-makers from the food industry and related sectors, entrepreneurs, academics and journalists from Swiss and European quality media.
Knapp 25 % der Teilnehmer*innen sind Geschäftsführer*innen.
99 % der Teilnehmer*innen bewerteten das Konferenzerlebnis mit sehr gut oder gut.
Almost 25 % of the participants are CEOs.
99 % of the participants rated the overall conference experience as excellent or good.
Interview with Nick Buettner
Interview with Marta Messa
Testimonials
Past conferences
Advisory Board
Urs Niggli
Former Director General of the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) in Frick, Switzerland. Niggli is a Swiss agricultural scientist and pioneer of organic agriculture. Under his 30 year leadership, FiBL has developed into one of the world's leading research institutes. He is also the founder of agroecology.science, a consulting company for sustainability and organic farming.
Matthew Robin
CEO of ELSA-Mifroma, a group of six food companies in Migros Industry. Robin has pioneered Migros strategy, investments and activities in the cultured meat area. Educated in England as a chemical engineer, he pursued a career in Switzerland and the USA in the pharmaceutical manufacturing and medtech area, before moving to the food sector.
Lee Howell
Executive
Director, Villars Institute. Howell was the Managing Director at the
World Economic Forum (WEF) responsible for its Annual Meeting in Davos,
Switzerland from 2009 until 2021 and the Editor-in-Chief of its Global
Risks Report (2012 & 2013). He is also a Visiting Associate
Professor at the University of Geneva's School of Economics and
Management (GSEM) and a lecturer at the University of St. Gallen’s CEMS
program.
Björn Witte
Managing Partner & CEO, Blue Horizon. The company invests in a new sustainable food system, with an end-to-end approach that extends beyond alternative proteins – starting with better crop practices right through to sustainable packaging and smarter distribution. Witte is Blue Horizons strategic thinker and deal maker with a strong background in transforming the food industries as an entrepreneur in international markets.
3rd International Food Innovation Conference
Sehen Sie alle Bilder der Tagung in unserer Picture gallery.
About the International Food Innovation Conference
Die International Food Innovation Conference ist eine jährlich stattfindende Veranstaltung zur Zukunft der Ernährung. Sie umfasst sowohl technologische als auch gesellschaftliche Veränderungen im Ökosystem der Ernährung. Ziel ist es, aktuelle Trends in einen übergeordneten Kontext zu stellen und langfristige Perspektiven für alle beteiligten Akteure zu entwickeln.
Unter dem übergreifenden Thema «Der Aufbau eines nachhaltigen Food-Systems», bringt die ganztägige Konferenz Vordenker, Experten und Startups zusammen. TeilnehmerInnen sind EntscheidungsträgerInnen aus der Lebensmittelindustrie und verwandten Branchen, UnternehmerInnen, AkademikerInnen und JournalistenInnen von Schweizer und europäischen Qualitätsmedien.
Past conferences
Advisory Board
Urs Niggli
Former Director General of the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) in Frick, Switzerland. Niggli is a Swiss agricultural scientist and pioneer of organic agriculture. Under his 30 year leadership, FiBL has developed into one of the world's leading research institutes. He is also the founder of agroecology.science, a consulting company for sustainability and organic farming.
Matthew Robin
CEO of ELSA-Mifroma, a group of six food companies in Migros Industry. Robin has pioneered Migros strategy, investments and activities in the cultured meat area. Educated in England as a chemical engineer, he pursued a career in Switzerland and the USA in the pharmaceutical manufacturing and medtech area, before moving to the food sector.
Lee Howell
Ausserordentlicher Gastprofessor an der Universität Genf, wo er zwei neue Kurse über die vierte industrielle Revolution und über disruptive Technologien unterrichtet. Howell ist zudem Lehrbeauftragter an der Universität St. Gallen. Er ist Mitglied des Vorstands der EAT Foundation, einer wissenschaftsbasierten globalen Plattform für die Transformation des Lebensmittelsystems. Von 2009 bis 2021 war Howell als Geschäftsführer des Weltwirtschaftsforums für dessen Jahrestagung in Davos verantwortlich. Er gründet das Villars Institute, das die Zusammenarbeit zwischen den Generationen fördern wird, um den Übergang zu einer Netto-Null-Wirtschaft zu beschleunigen und die Gesundheit unseres Planeten wiederherzustellen.
Björn Witte
Geschäftsführer & CEO, Blue Horizon. Die Firma investiert in ein neues nachhaltiges Nahrungsmittelsystem mit einem durchgängigen Ansatz, der über alternative Proteine hinausgeht – angefangen bei besseren Anbaumethoden bis hin zu nachhaltiger Verpackung und intelligenterem Vertrieb. Witte ist der strategische Denker und Macher von Blue Horizon, der als Unternehmer auf den internationalen Märkten die Lebensmittelindustrie verändert hat