Fast-forward plant-based food symposium

The aim of the symposia series is to accelerate the transition to more plant-based food consumption by maximizing the impact of: Plant2Food, AgriFoodTure, the Plant-based Food Grant and GUDP through aligning our efforts in supporting research and innovation in a new partnership.

The Fast-forward Plant-based Food Symposium 2025 is the second of three symposia. The symposium in 2025 will bring together policymakers and private sector stakeholders to enhance public-private collaboration for accelerating innovation and sustainable development in the plant-based value chain. The focus on public-private partnerships is essential to strengthen and accelerate strategic research and innovation and for achieving the goals of the National Action Plan on plant-based food and the Green Tripartite Agreement/The Agreement on a Green Denmark.

The key objectives of the symposium are to:

1. Raise awareness and create synergy between the funding opportunities provided by the four platforms.
2. Bring together and explore synergies between projects already funded by the platforms.
3. Identify knowledge gaps and key challenges, research needs and future workstreams.
4. Support the development of a coordinated and strategic approach to research and innovation.
5. Contribute to the establishment and strengthening of public-private partnerships on plant-based food.

The comprehensive program, featuring engaging talks, insightful panel debates and matchmaking sessions, will actively involve all stakeholders in a coordinated collaboration to accelerate research, innovation, and development for a sustainable agri-food system. Please see the program below or click here.

Program
09:00 - 09:30

Registration and breakfast

09:30 - 09:35

Welcome by the moderator; Ida Ebbensgaard, Journalist, Moderator.dk

09:35 - 10:00

Keynote speaker Richard Zaltzman, CEO, EIT Food

10:00 - 10:50

Presentations from Plant2Food, AgriFoodTure, the Plant-Based Food Grant and GUDP

10:50 - 11:00

Pause: Refreshments

11:00 - 11:30

Poster sessions by projects funded by the four platforms

11:30 - 12:30

Lunch

12:30 - 13:30

First afternoon session: Denmark's Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods: Is futher centralized approach needed for national succes?

Panelists:

• Ida Auken, Member of the Parliament
• Per Kølster, Chairman of the National Park Kongernes Nordsjælland – Former Chairman of the Danish Organic Association for 9 years
• Bente Kramer Møller, Project Manager for Climate Policy Food Strategy at Aarhus Municipality
• Christian Bugge Henriksen, Associate Professor at University of Copenhagen
• Lars Horsholt Jensen, Managing Director at EIFO

13:30 - 13:50

Pause: Refreshments

13:50-14:40

Second afternoon session: Denmark is not enough - the crucial need for a European approach.

Panelists:

• Richard Zaltzman, CEO of EIT Food
• Niels Fuglsang, Member of the European Parliament
• Anne Louise Dannesboe Nielsen, Head of the Department of Food Science at Aarhus University
• Rune-Christoffer Dragsdahl, Secretary-General at the Vegetarian Society of Denmark
• Vibeke Højbjerg, Chief Consultant at DI Food

14:40 - 15:00

Live Q&A with the four platforms

15:00-16:00

1:1 Matchmaking Meetings

Jazz and bobbles

16.00-

Thank you for today - -You are welcome to stay and network

The series of the three Fast-forward Plant-based Food Symposia 
The four platforms have joined forces to organize a series of three symposia over three years and launch supporting activities aiming at breaking down silos and overcoming barriers for exploiting synergies and accelerating innovation towards a sustainable, healthy and fair agri-food system.

Symposium I was held in spring 2024 and focused on raising awareness, matchmaking and identifying knowledge gaps and research needs. Symposium II will take place on 27 May 2025 at the Black Diamond in Copenhagen and will focus on public-private partnerships. Symposium III will be hosted in 2026 and focus on impact investment.