June 19, 2007

Agri Vision 2007 addresses major challenges for feed-to-food value chain

Press release
 

Held from Jun 13-14, 2007, in Noordwijk aan Zee, the Netherlands, the Agri Vision 2007 business conference involved discussions and debates over major challenges and opportunities for companies active in the feed-to-food value chain around the world.

Following the theme of 'Balance the Challenge', speakers from Europe, North and South America and Asia described constraints they face, growth potentials they have and ways in which external events are influencing their businesses.

The growing competition between fuel, feed and food for raw materials from agriculture was a consistent topic during the two-day conference. While the competing demands impact on raw material prices, the fuel conversion processes can create other raw materials suited to feed and food uses.

Emerging as the second major theme at Agri Vision was opportunities in emerging economies, with a particular focus on Brazil, China, India and Russia.

Prominent business leaders who presented included Larry Pope, President and CEO of Smithfield Foods; Juan Roig, Executive President of Mercadona; Justin Sanders, CEO of Campina; Cor Broekhuyse, CEO Rabobank North & South America; Mark Zenuk, Corporate VP and MD Europe & Asia, ADM; Roberto Rodrigues, former Minister of Agriculture for Brazil and keen promoter of bio-ethanol; Mark Han, President and CEO DaChan Great Wall Group; and Sergey Yushin, Chief of the Executive Committee of the Russian National Meat Association.

Closing the conference, Wout Dekker, Nutreco CEO, commented, "We must progress from awareness, to insight and preparedness with respect to the competition between feed, food and fuel. At this conference, we have clearly become aware of the issues of growing demand for food and fuel. Now we must prepare to meet the challenge and bring the strategies into our business models."

Organised by Nutreco in association with Rabobank and sponsored by Smithfield Foods, BASF and AllAboutFeed.net, Agri Vision 2007 saw attendance by some 340 leaders of agricultural food and raw material businesses from over 30 countries.

Agri Vision is held every two years and the next conference is scheduled for 2009.

For more information, visit: www.agrivision.nu