From Fields to Shelves : Plant-Based Food Chains

14:30 Doors open. Welcome coffee

15:00. Setting the scene & welcome
Tessa Avermaete, Run and Harvest
Welcome by Deputy Gunther Coppens, Province of Flemish Brabant

15:05. Keynote 

Minister Jo Brouns, Flemish Minister for Environment and Agriculture

15:15. The Danish Action Plan for Plant-Based Food: What’s in it for Farmers?
Niels Peter Nørring, Danish Agriculture & Food Council

15:30 Panel discussion – Moderated by Nele Kempeneers 

From Policy to Plate. Building Strong Local Plant-Based Food Value Chains. Panelists:

• Justine Arkens, Groene Kring
• Esther Monard, Arvesta
• Isabelle Colbrandt, Lidl Belux
• Niels Peter Nørring, Danish Agriculture & Food Council

16:30 Q&A
Questions and discussion with the audience

16:50 Reflections from Guy Vandepoel – Executive Board Boerenbond and Chair VLAM – Vlaams Centrum voor Agro- en Visserijmarketing – Flanders Agricultural Marketing Board

17:00 Networking reception

How can we create the right conditions for a successful transition towards more locally produced plant-based food? During this panel discussion, representatives from agriculture, the food industry, retail and policy will explore how government action and collaboration across the value chain can help turn ambition into concrete opportunities. From better aligning agricultural, health and environmental objectives to reducing risks for farmers and supporting investment in innovation and processing capacity, the discussion will focus on the conditions needed to build strong and economically viable local plant-based value chains. Drawing inspiration from Denmark’s pioneering approach, the panel will also explore how demand for locally produced plant-based proteins can be strengthened. What role can retailers, public kitchens, schools and hospitals play? How can consumers be better informed and encouraged? And which lessons from Denmark can be translated to Belgium? Together, we will explore how collaboration across the entire value chain – from field to fork – can create sustainable opportunities for farmers, businesses and consumers alike.

Niels Peter Nørring is Director at the Danish Agriculture & Food Council. For the past 27 years, Niels Peter Nørring has served as a Director at the Danish Agriculture & Food Council, representing the entire Danish food cluster – including Danish farmers and some of Europe’s largest farmer-owned cooperatives within the dairy, pork, grain, and seed sectors. His work focuses, among other things, on practical and scalable solutions for sustainable food systems – including plant-based food value chains and plant-rich diets as an important pathway to reducing climate footprint of our food system, while at the same time creating viable business opportunities for farmers and food companies. In addition to climate policy, his work also heavily involves the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Furthermore, Niels Peter Nørring is a member of the European Economic and Social Committee, the voice of organized civil society in Europe, which contributes to improving the quality of EU policies and legislation. Earlier in his career, Nørring served as Agricultural Attaché at Denmark’s EU Representation in Brussels and as Secretary to three successive Danish Ministers for Food and Agriculture.

Justine Arkens is Chair of Groene Kring, the Flemish organisation representing young farmers and horticulturists. Raised on a mixed farm with pigs and arable crops, she brings both the perspective of a young farmers’ representative and practical experience from agriculture. Together with her partner, she plans to take over the family farm in the future.

Isabelle Colbrandt is Head of Corporate Affairs at Lidl Belux. In her role, she focuses on an open and honest dialogue with all actors across the food chain. A key priority in this dialogue is making the food assortment more sustainable and healthier, while keeping healthy food affordable for everyone and strengthening short supply chains.

Esther Monard, Arvesta, will bring the perspective of the agricultural and food value chain to the discussion.

Guy Vandepoel, is a member of the Executive Board of Boerenbond and Chair of VLAM (Flanders Agricultural Marketing Board). He held various positions within Boerenbond, including eight years at its study service. Guy Vandepoel has extensive experience in agricultural policy and sector representation, with a particular focus on the economic and strategic challenges facing farmers. He has also been involved with VLAM for many years, previously serving in its dairy and cattle sector groups.

The webinar is organised as part of an EU project, which has received grants from the Green Development and Demonstration Programme (GUDP) under the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries of Denmark.