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BASF gathers stakeholders from the entire value chain to discuss future of food
Key topics discussed: affordability of food, resource efficiency, social aspects and value perception
Washington D.C., March 5, 2015 – As part of the co-creation activities that landmark its 150th anniversary year, BASF hosted a two-day Creator SpaceTM jamming event in Washington, D.C. to discuss the “future of food.” This event brought together more than 30 stakeholders from the entire food value chain including farmers, academics, food manufacturers and logistic companies. The attendees discussed long-term challenges and far-future trends that may impact the food value chain in the years to come.
During the jamming session, participants brainstormed ideas on topics such as affordability and access to food, personalized nutrition, transparency for consumers and food waste.
“The future of food is complex. The themes that have come out here are inter-related and interdependent, and the complexities associated with them are major. The jamming session is an innovative way of identifying and creatively approaching the dialogue around these issues,” said Kyle Marinkovich, Assistant Vice President, Marketing, Cargill Specialty Seeds & Oils, who participated in the event.
All ideas were condensed into three future scenarios: Brazil without water, personal “food-print”, and meat as a luxury item. This approach opens up a new dimension in understanding the needs related to food. The scenarios will be further discussed and refined to help find lasting contributions to society.
“We’ve confirmed during this event that once we team up with partners and work together along the food value chain, we can better understand, develop and then deliver technologies and solutions for the upcoming challenges,” emphasized Juergen Oldeweme, Senior Vice President, Global Product Safety and Regulatory Affairs, BASF Crop Protection.
“The beauty of this event is that we have this huge variety of people participating, from college professors to cattle farmers; all those different perspectives are absolutely amazing. We tend to work in our own fields and don’t see all the other topics that are being raised in a gathering like this one,” summarized Josef Appel, Vice President Global Field Development, BASF Bioscience Research.
“We can only meet the challenge of nourishing nine billion people in 2050 if we collaborate. We need to explore what true value contribution in the food value chain means and replace the concept of just adding more with an approach of delivering more from less,” concluded Saori Dubourg, President BASF Nutrition and Health Division.
The event was jointly hosted by BASF’s Nutrition and Health division, the Crop Protection division and the Bioscience Research division. The concept demonstrates how BASF has evolved from a classical manufacturer to a creator of solutions for global challenges.
As a next step, BASF will host a co-creation workshop in Chicago in June with the aim of turning the experts’ insights into new projects and initiatives to support the future of food.
About BASF’s Crop Protection division
With sales of more than €5.4 billion in 2014, BASF’s Crop Protection division provides innovative solutions in crop protection, seed treatment and biological control as well as innovations to manage nutrients and plant stress. Its portfolio also includes products for turf and ornamental plants, pest control and public health. BASF Crop Protection is a leading innovator that partners with growers to protect and enhance crop yields, enabling them to produce high quality food more efficiently. By delivering new technologies and know-how, BASF Crop Protection supports growers to make a better life for themselves, their families and communities. Further information can be found on the web at www.agro.basf.com or on our social media channels.
About BASF
BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 17,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $20.6 billion in 2014. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.us.
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 over €74 billion in 2014 and around 113,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.
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