Portland, Maine – The 28th edition of Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global will feature an extensive Conference program covering seafood industry’s main challenges. The inaugural edition of the Expo in Fira de Barcelona venue will present more than 20 educational sessions during the three-day event, from 26 to 28 April. The program aims to provide an in-depth perspective on topics such as seafood business and leadership, the evolution of fisheries and aquaculture markets, sustainability, initiatives against climate change effects and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global seafood trade, among others. These topics include practical and theoretical approaches.
The program will feature more than 65 leading international experts from the seafood sector, from key policy makers and business professionals, to entrepreneurs, NGO promoters or experts in biodiversity and sustainability. Amy Novogratz, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Aqua-Spark, Audun Lem, Deputy Director at FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, Javier Garat, President of Europêche and the International Coalition of Fisheries Associations (ICFA), or Christophe Vande Weyer, Policy Officer in the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission, are some of the most prominent names who will participate in this thought-provoking program.
The Conference schedule will kick off on 26 April with a Keynote presentation by Megan Greene, Global Economist, Financial Times Columnist and Senior Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School. In her timely keynote address ‘Economic Outlook for 2022’, Greene will examine high frequency economic data, structural trends, global flows, political factors and policy developments to determine the state of the global recovery and to highlight risks and opportunities for businesses and markets. She will explore these factors to offer insight on where the global recovery is heading, including an outlook for international supply chain challenges, inflation and climate change.
Following the Keynote presentation, the workshop ‘From Revolution to Evolution: the Fishery and Aquaculture Market in a Post Covid-19 World’ will provide insights into new business opportunities, emerging markets and changes in consumer behavior in a new pandemic era. This session will be presented by Alessandro Pititto, EUMOFA Project Manager, Audun Lem, Deputy Director Fisheries and Aquaculture Director at FAO, Roberto Carlos Alonso Baptista de Sousa, ANFACO-CECOPESCA Deputy Secretary General, and Christophe Vande Weyer, Policy Officer from the European Commission.
Sustainability as main focus to care for the oceans
One of the main themes of the program will show how the latest technologies and sustainability projects are shaping a new global market. Actors such as Amy Novogratz, Co- Founder and Managing Partner at Aqua Spark, promoter of the world’s largest sustainable aquaculture investment fund, will join the ‘Venture Capital and Technologies Advancing the Seafood Industry’ session on 26 April. This panel discussion aims to evaluate how innovations under development by leading entrepreneurs are reimagining the food system and fighting against the effects of climate change on the oceans. Christian Lim, SWEN Blue Ocean Managing Director, Chris Gorell Barnes, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Ocean 14 Capital, are some of the other speakers who will join Novogratz in this analysis.
Following up, on 27 April, ‘Eating Up the Oceans – How Do We Save Our Oceans?’ will bring out sobering solutions to change seafood consumption habits, as overfishing, pollution, habitat loss and global warming threaten the existence of marine life. Over the last year, led by The Lexicon, Google and the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative, more than a hundred participants have come together to build a connected market tool and create a more equitable food system. Speakers including Michiel Bakker, Vice President of Global Workplace Programs at Google, and Douglas Gayeton, The Lexicon Co-Founder of an international storytelling initiative to share the narrative of biodiversity around the globe, will explain how this netting works.
Challenges on aquaculture and fisheries industry
An array of sessions will also explore the most critical issues facing aquaculture today and what future points are on the horizon. With the cooperation of experts in environmental foot printing in the agri-food sector, some presenters will explain how collective initiatives work to measure and reduce their carbon footprints along aquafarming supply chains. Others will share case studies that have managed to position themselves as climate-friendly options or how the entry of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing into the fisheries and aquaculture markets is moving closer to a local and more sustainable fish production model.
Other discussions will examine the importance of increasing transparency about human rights risks in seafood supply chains in order to advance social responsibility in the industry, as well as the opportunities that a meta-collaborative approach can offer to the seafood industry, where economies of scale can be employed and the sustainability of seafood products can be improved. The Conference program will also feature case studies with practical and theoretical approaches that can be applied to seafood businesses in real time.
To access the Conference program, which will be presented in English, visitors must register in advance and obtain a Conference badge. The badge also allows attendees access to the exhibit hall and the opportunity to attend free sponsored sessions. More conference information can be viewed on the event’s website.
Parallel activities: Seafood Excellence Global Awards
In addition to the Conference program, Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global will feature its prestigious annual Seafood Excellence Global Awards. This competition will recognize the best seafood products of the year represented at the Expo. A screening committee will evaluate each product participant and select the best ones as finalists. Finalists will then be judged by a group of seafood experts based on eating experience, packaging, convenience, originality, nutritional value and market potential. The winning products will be announced at a reception on the first day of the event, on 26 April. The prizes to be awarded include Best Retail Product and Best Hotel/Restaurant/Catering (HORECA) Product.
For more information about Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, visit: www.seafoodexpo.com/global.
Please note: Conference program is subject to change. Be sure to check back periodically for updates.
About Seafood Expo Global and Seafood Processing Global
Seafood Expo Global and Seafood Processing Global form the world’s largest seafood trade event. Thousands of buyers and suppliers from around the world attend the annual, three-day exposition to meet, network and conduct business. Attending buyers represent importers, exporters, wholesalers, restaurants, supermarkets, hotels, and other retail and foodservice companies. Exhibiting suppliers offer the newest seafood products, processing and packaging equipment, and services available in the seafood market. SeafoodSource.com is the exposition’s official media. The exposition is produced by Diversified Communications, the international leader in seafood-industry expositions and media. www.seafoodexpo.com/global
About Diversified Communications
Diversified Communications is a leading international media company with a portfolio of face-to-face exhibitions and conferences, online communities and digital and print publications. As producers of these market-leading products Diversified Communications connects, educates and strengthens business communities in over 15 industries including: food and beverage, healthcare, natural and organic, business management and technology. The company’s global seafood portfolio of expositions and media includes Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, Seafood Expo Asia and SeafoodSource.com. Established in 1949 and headquartered in Portland, Maine, USA with divisions and offices around the world, Diversified Communications remains a privately held, third generation, family-owned business. For more information, visit: www.divcom.com
