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Grow23 Festival

A series of high-level talks looking into the topical issues regarding food security and safety and the future of green food production in Europe.

Grow23 Festival took place on March 7th 2023 in Brussels, followed by webinars on April 20th, May 24th and June 7th.

Plant-based food production Growing media Circularity in food production Discover all speakers

Many ongoing crises and challenges force European producers and decision-makers to think how and where healthy green food is grown in the future. Decisions made today will have significant impacts on both the horticulture industry and the lives of all Europeans.

The Grow festival was created in 2019 by Kekkilä-BVB to explore solutions to diverse challenges in the green food ecosystem. This year, we will focus on building understanding of how recent developments and future changes will affect European plant-based food production and what needs to be done to secure the right to safe green food for all our citizens.

Join us to make a difference!

Panel discussion in the Grow23 webinar April 20:
Future of European plant-based food productionsecuring the availability of safe and sustainable green food for EU citizens

The war in Ukraine and the significant increases in production costs in agriculture have affected global food security and the availability and affordability of green food in Europe. Securing the availability of safe plant-based food produced in the European Union for future EU citizens should be a priority for EU decision makers.

Panel discussion in the Grow23 webinar May 24:
Current state and future trends in the growing media marketsenabling efficient and innovative growing methods

Recent developments regarding the availability and price of growing media raw materials have underlined the importance of maintaining a steady supply of critical raw materials produced in the European Union. The demand for growing media is expected to grow rapidly and all fit for purpose raw materials are needed to enable efficient and innovative growing methods in the future.

Panel discussion in the Grow23 webinar June 7:
Circularity in food production; future opportunities and challenges

The European Commission has introduced multiple ambitious targets to increase the sustainability of the European agricultural sector. The Farm to Fork strategy and the upcoming Sustainable EU Food Systems initiative are examples of a stronger emphasis on sustainable and circular food production. These efforts should include all parts of the value chain, including the use and production of growing media.

This webinar was a side-event of the World Circular Economy Forum 2023

Agenda

Thursday

Apr. 20 Central European Time CET
13:00

Welcome to Grow23 Webinar - Future of Plant Based Food Production

Vesa Tempakka | CEO of Kekkilä-BVB
Nina Kinnunen | Director, Business Unit Landscaping & Recycling, Kekkilä-BVB
13:15

Panel – Future of European plant-based food production; securing the availability of safe and sustainable green food for EU citizens

Moderated by Nina Kinnunen
Nina Kinnunen | Director, Business Unit Landscaping & Recycling, Kekkilä-BVB
Pekka Pesonen | Secretary General, Copa-Cogeca
Philippe Binard | General Delegate, Freshfel Europe
Dr. Stefanie Grade | Professor, Berliner Hochschule für Technik
Erik Gipmans | Vice Chair of Plantum, Director at Gipmans
14:10

The ecosystem of data-driven growing

Marck Hagen | Director

Closing of Grow23 Webinar on Future of plant based food production

Nina Kinnunen | Director, Business Unit Landscaping & Recycling, Kekkilä-BVB

Wednesday

May. 24 Central European Time CET
13:00

Welcome to Grow23 Webinar - Future Growing Media

13:10

Introductory remarks

13:15

Panel – Current state and future trends in the growing media markets; enabling efficient and innovative growing methods

Moderated by Eveline Herben
Eveline Herben | Advisor, Kekkilä-BVB
Dr. Silvana Nicola | Professor, University of Turin
Dr. Jean-Charles Michel | Associate Professor, Growing Media and Soil physics, L’institut Agro Rennes-Angers
Christine Zimmermann-Loessl | Chairwoman, Association for Vertical Farming
Guido Linders, Director | Business Unit Professional Growing, Kekkilä-BVB
14:10

Innovation and the future of growing media

Chris Blok | Project manager at Wageningen University Research, Greenhouse Horticulture
Cecilia Luetgebrune | Secretary General, Growing Media Europe
Eveline Herben | Advisor, Kekkilä-BVB

Wednesday

Jun. 7 Central European Time CET
13:00

Welcome to Grow23 webinar - Circularity in food production

Folkert Moll | Sustainability Manager
13:10

Introductory remarks

13:20

Panel – Circularity in food production; future opportunities and challenges

Moderated by Folkert Moll
Folkert Moll | Sustainability Manager, Kekkilä-BVB
Risto Artjoki | Policy Officer, European Commission DG Agriculture
Dr. Hans Joosten | Professor emeritus, Peatland Studies and Palaeoecology
Dr. Bart Vandecasteele | Researcher, the Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Marco Zevenhoven | Operational Director, RHP
Pablo Martinez Martinez | Lead Project Manager en Centro Tecnológico de Investigación del Champiñón de La Rioja
14:10

Live discussion - Circularity in future green growth

Sustainable circularity means that all aspects of food production are taken into account. All elements must be fit for purpose. In this panel discussion, we will look to the horizon and discuss the next steps of the circular economy in creating green growth.
Päivi Martikainen | Program Director
Folkert Moll | Sustainability Manager

Join us to make a difference!

High-level remarks, inspiring discussions and in-depth sessions that help us build understanding of the complex issues, strategies, and repercussions of our mission to create a more sustainable future for our industry. 

 

Watch also the recordings from the previous Grow festivals.

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