The Agrofood Industry we need

WHY host this European Union conference in Spain?

The European agro-food industry, as a major global player, is currently facing deep economic, technological and regulatory changes, including :

1) The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will be directed more towards farmers while market supports will be progressively dismantled.

2) The growth of emerging countries generates an increased demand for food products and access to raw materials.

3) Because of its atomistic structure, the food industry is in a weak negotiating position vis-à-vis the retail sector.

4) Consumers’ preferences are becoming more and more quality demanding, encompassing a switch to more ethical alternatives (e.g. fair trade, sustainable food production) and a healthier diet.

 

In this context, progress by the European industry towards competitiveness and innovation is essential to avoid significant erosion of its global market share.

The European Commission strongly intends to support this effort by providing an appropriate regulatory framework as well as targeted support instruments and resources.

The forthcoming Agrofood Conference in Zaragoza will address specific issues and challenges of the Spanish food industry, as well as responses provided by European policies and instruments.

WHY is it worth attending this conference?

The Conference is primarily intended for Spanish agrofood producing companies, particularly SMEs. Participation in the conference will provide the following benefits:

- An up-date on essential competitiveness innovation challenges and issues, as well as on powerful and innovative strategic approaches.

- Networking and sharing experiences with selected “best case” practitioners from Spain and abroad.

- An up-date on EU policy (re)design and what EU and national instruments can do for them.

- The opportunity to voice their concerns and expectations vis-à-vis the European Commission and the National Government delegations.

WHY focus on SME's?

SME’s represent 99% of the number of food companies in Europe and employ more than 4 million people which explain why their well-being and dynamism are essential to the whole sector. Yet, their specific concerns and constraints are too often overshadowed by large companies and the retail sector. Their atomisation prevents them from fully capturing the value they generate. Also, they often lack adequate information on available support instruments and resources. This conference will be an opportunity for SME’s to improve their awareness of the need for innovation. It also serves the Commission in giving them a better understanding of their concerns and expectations.

Issues and challenges

Main specific issues of current interest to be addressed in this conference are:

 

- The position, role and the potential development of cooperatives, which are a specific and also a strong factor in the Spanish agro-food sector.

- The pressing need for innovation and the way to achieve this.

- The role of dimension (size, integration) information strategies for the agro-food sector.

- The impact of price volatility on the access of raw materials, and what to do about this.

 

This website is financed under the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) which aims to encourage the competitiveness of European enterprises.