BASF creates chemistry with stakeholders in Barcelona to promote responsible food consumption
- Creator SpaceTM tour stops in Barcelona, Spain, to celebrate 150 years of BASF and encourage collaborative work on global challenges
- Week-long event includes expert summit, Creatathon, activities for children and cultural program
Barcelona, Spain, October 26, 2015 – As part of its 150th anniversary celebrations, BASF is hosting a week of activities in Barcelona with the aim of tackling one of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century: responsible food consumption. The meeting provides space for co-creation and innovation, sparking reflection and knowledge about this topic. Experts from all areas of the food value chain as well as scientists, representatives from public authorities, artists and citizens are participating in the event. It takes place at the Disseny Hub in Barcelona from October 26 to 30, 2015.
The tour stop started today with the opening of a two-day summit. The summit will be attended by almost one hundred experts. “As we are celebrating the 150th anniversary of BASF, we want to connect people and ideas around the globe. We invite our stakeholders to jointly work on solutions for important future challenges. Throughout BASF’s history, chemistry has proven to be an enabler for innovation,” said Dr. Harald Schwager, member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE.
By 2050, 9 billion people will live on this planet and food production will have to increase by 70% according to estimates of the Food Agricultural Organization (FAO). Given that already today, 805 million people – or 11 % of the world population – do not have sufficient food to follow a healthy diet, feeding the growing world population responsibly is a crucial challenge.
“We must encourage the involvement of all stakeholders in the value chain, from the farmer to the final consumer, to identify sustainable solutions for responsible food consumption. During the Creator Space tour in Barcelona, we will focus on three specific areas together with our stakeholders: How to help citizens adopt a healthier and more sustainable diet and lifestyle, how to use water more efficiently in the agricultural sector, and how to avoid food waste and improve waste management,” said Dr. Erwin Rauhe, Senior Vice President and CEO of BASF Española.
The Creator Space tour stop in Barcelona is supported by the Waste Agency of Catalonia (ARC); the Food and Agriculture Research and Technology Institute (IRTA) of the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Food and the Natural Environment of the Catalan government; and the Mediterranean Diet Foundation (Fundación Dieta Mediterránea).
During the opening of the summit, Ken Webster, international expert on circular economy and head of innovation at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, said in his keynote: “Our existing take-make-waste-economy is under pressure and the time is right to shift to creating new forms of prosperity. A circular economy takes insights from the science of living systems to create effective flows of materials and energy. It is led by business opportunities while at the same time spinning off a positive cycle of social and environmental benefits.”
The second day of the summit will be opened by Tristram Stuart, food activist and best-selling author of “Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal.”
In addition to the summit, which began today, BASF has scheduled the following events throughout the week:
- Opening dinner with a menu based on products that are usually wasted or rejected: The format seeks to use food that generally has no place in our daily lives. The menu was designed by chef Ada Parellada (October 26, 8:00 p.m.).
- Cinema night, a screening of the documentary film “Just Eat It”, attended by activist Tristram Stuart (October 27, 7:00 p.m.).
- Co-creation day for children: About one hundred 8- to 12-year-old children will learn about the benefits of adopting a healthy diet and using water efficiently through experimentation (October 28, 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.).
- Creatathon: The 24-hour hackathon-style creative marathon is a joint initiative of BASF and Imagine Creative Center. It aims at developing solutions for the three key challenges of responsible food consumption addressed at the Creator Space tour stop in Barcelona (October 28, 5:00 p.m. – October 29, 5:00 p.m.).
- Cultural program: An interactive cultural installation conceptualized by the artists Domestic Data Streamers will transform big data into emotions. Art will be used as a tool to initiate a change of behavior in order to reduce food waste.
About Creator Space™
BASF hosts activities and events around the world in 2015 to celebrate and to co-create – bringing in the ideas and collaborative energy of BASF employees, customers, scientists and members of the community. In addition to the Creator Space tour, key elements of the Creator Space program include Creator Space online, a global internet platform, and three Creator Space science symposia, in Ludwigshafen (smart energy), Chicago (food) and Shanghai (urban living). More information under: www.creator-space.basf.com
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry – and have been doing so for 150 years. Our portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. As the world’s leading chemical company, we combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of about €74 billion in 2013 and over 112,000 employees as of the end of the year. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.
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