Vitafoods Europe 2024: How climate change and sustainability concerns drive innovation

07 May 2024 --- This year at Vitafoods Europe, the trade show will celebrate 26 years of industry innovation and nutritional advancements in Geneva, Switzerland from May 14–16. The event will also host a “Future of Nutrition Summit” on Monday, May 13, before the show starts.

Nutrition Insight sits down with Kinga Swiderska, the head of content at Vitafoods Europe for a preview for this year’s show and to look back at trends and changes from the last quarter century.

“Our first Vitafoods Europe event was held back in 1997, so we’ve been witness to the industry’s development and growth for almost three decades,” says Swiderska. “In this time, the industry has undergone a remarkable evolution, including a heightened emphasis on proactive healthcare and a rising preference for natural products.”

“These changes have been shaped by a combination of many factors, including an aging population and growing health consciousness across multiple demographics. This last point has seen rapid acceleration in recent years, and it’s not only the pandemic that has had a key impact here. The rise of digital technologies like smart watches and social media have revolutionized the ways people access information about their health — enabling consumers to take a more informed and proactive approach than ever before.”

A quarter-century of industry innovation
Swiderska highlights that the first Vitafoods Europe trade show consisted of about 100 exhibitors and about 1,200 visitors. This year, 1,100 exhibitors have registered and the show expects over 20,000 visitors — an increase she states is indicative of the growing interest in nutrition and innovative offerings.

“This year’s event marks our final chapter in Geneva before our relocation to Barcelona in 2025,” Swiderska spotlights. “To honor the occasion, Vitafoods Europe 2024 will be our biggest and best event yet — bringing together stakeholders from across the entire supply chain, we will be introducing new show features, such as the expanded Finished Products Area and the return of the Future of Nutrition Summit.”

“As we prepare to say goodbye to Geneva and ‘hola’ to Barcelona, the future holds even greater promise. The move signifies a strategic decision to align with the needs and objectives of a booming nutraceutical market while providing an engaging backdrop for industry stakeholders. We have proudly paved the way for innovation, collaboration and inclusivity in the nutraceuticals industry since its infancy — and we intend to push the boundaries of what’s possible for decades to come.”

Climate change-fueled innovation
According to Swiderska, one of the most important industry influences has been climate change and the policies implemented to fight its effects. She notes that there has been increased UN intervention since the 1990s. However, she points out that there has been a rise in urgency over the last few years, as global temperatures threaten to rise well above the predicted 1.5°C and could surpass 2°C later this decade.Swiderska highlights that climate change is fueling consumer demand for sustainable innovations.

“This critical juncture necessitated closer regard for the role food production plays in the climate crisis and re-evaluation of our dietary practices,” Swiderska emphasizes. “For example, climate change is increasingly disrupting traditional agricultural practices, threatening the availability of key ingredients.”

“There is now a growing imperative to ensure the security of ingredient supply. As a result, there has been a significant uptick in the adoption of sustainable supply chain practices. This often requires innovative approaches, such as the cultivation of botanicals in controlled environments and regenerative agricultural partnerships.”

Growing concern for sustainability
Swiderska also underscores that, lately, consumers increasingly prioritize sustainability and ethics in their purchases, favoring products that offer health benefits and are environmentally friendly. Moreover, within the cost-of-living crisis, they also seek value and quality, forcing brands to balance principles and price.

“There’s an expectation that sustainability transcends environmental resilience to include social responsibility and ethical sourcing,” she reveals. “Examples of this are initiatives that safeguard the physical, emotional and financial well-being of individuals within the supply chain, promote gender equality and champion upcycling to minimize waste and maximize resource efficiency.”

“Last year, Vitafoods Europe launched our purposeful partnership with Solidaridad as part of our ongoing commitment to sustainability,” Swiderska concludes. “The partnership aims to raise awareness of Solidaridad’s work in creating sustainable supply chains globally, facilitate knowledge-sharing and collaboration across the nutrition and food markets and ultimately help brands source ingredients ethically and sustainably while meeting calls for enhanced supply chain transparency.”

By William Bradford Nichols