New reality, new business: Lessons to learn from global mega crises

GFFA Berlin e.V. 

Time: Tuesday, 19. January 2021, 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (CET), subsequent deep dive 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Languages: English, German

Summary:
COVID-19 has turned our lives and economies upside down from one day to the next. Together with climate change, another global challenge is now penetrating deep into the reality of people’s lives and businesses. For many companies, these shocks represent a strategically difficult exercise to overcome. What is not up to date is abruptly buried, and proven methods are being compromised. On the other hand, so far undreamed-of opportunities pop up. This is especially true for businesses along the food chain, starting with agriculture and its suppliers and extending to trade and catering. Terms such as increased efficiency and global markets only seem to contradict buzzwords like local food and sustainability labelling. However, as important aspects of a future-oriented strategy for the entire sector, all of them are of enormous importance.

This podium has illustrated how agri-business companies deal with these complex demands. It has highlighted the instruments being used to anticipate the development of future markets. Especially the role of innovations such as new breeding techniques and their use in agriculture as well as food systems for the future were discussed controversially. It also became clear that the kind of discussion we see whether technologies are good or bad is not helpful. Instead, we need to ask ourselves what function a technology or system can fulfill and whether this is in the interests of sustainability.