Genova Food Forum, second edition

Looking to the future of the agro-food sector, aiming at the excellence of our products and distribution services, managing the change generated by new digitalization technologies rather than suffering it: with this spirit our company organized the 2nd Food Forum in Genoa on 16 October, with Confindustria and Deloitte. The focus is on two themes: the new dynamics of distribution (“contamination between online and offline”) and internationalisation (“going beyond borders to grow”). Two “direct” suggestions for the future: genetic traceability against food fraud (Italian Institute of Technology) and the experimentation of artificial ecosystems for growing plants in closed environments and in extreme conditions (FOS Group). On the distribution side, the ineluctability of the development of large-scale distribution and the need to rethink retail (more services, more expertise, more involvement) emerged. In terms of internationalisation, the growing role of e-commerce was highlighted (+40% food sold online) and, on the one hand, the opportunity for international expansion that it offers to SMEs but, on the other, the consumer’s tendency to rely on market place sites. After the inaugural greeting of the Vice Mayor Stefano Balleari, 15 experts and business leaders and about 200 entrepreneurs, managers and operators of the Ligurian agro-food sector took part in the round tables and the “Inspirational talk”. “Our entrepreneurs have the skills and potential to be protagonists of food all over the world,” said Cristina Santagata, closing the meeting.