Dear friends of the Global Food Summit,
Dear ladies and gentlemen,

Producing sustainable proteins for food is the maxim in many projects that are currently being trialled worldwide. Unfortunately, what looks promising in the laboratory cannot yet be offered at affordable prices in mass production. This is because the energy requirements are high and the desired sustainability effects have not yet been achieved. Urban planners are working on how protein production can be made more affordable using urban energy surpluses.

Promising is the research work in molecular biotechnology that is pursuing the development of a resilient and sustainable agricultural and nutritional platform for microalgae-based foods as a step towards more sustainable food systems and greater food security. The "Novel Proteins for Food and Feed" project brings together the expertise of the World Food Systems Centre at ETH Zurich, the Department of Food Science and Technology at the National University of Singapore (NUS), and the Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation at the Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR).
The companies involved in the project show just how high the expectations are for this new "food supply chain" approach. These include Swiss and Singapore-based food manufacturers such as Nestlé and ingredient processing companies such as Bühler, Givaudan, Planted Foods and Sophie's Bionutrients (https://sec.ethz.ch/research/urban-microalgae-based-protein.html).

It is clear that India, with its high level of biotechnology expertise, is not lagging behind here. The ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA) has just published a study in March 2024 indicating that microalgae are suitable for large-scale cultivation and utilisation in aquaculture and other food-producing industries. In addition, the bioactive compounds in microalgae offer opportunities for the development of novel nutraceutical formulations with potential health benefits (https://doi.org/10.1007/s11852-024-01046-1).

India is on the way to contributing to solutions for a sufficient and at the same time sustainable food supply. We are delighted about the interview with MP Ralph Brinkhaus, Chairman of the Indo-German Parliamentary Group of the German Bundestag, who expressly emphasises that Germany and Europe should also expand relations with India for geopolitical reasons.

And we present a traditional Indian product, a speciality - popped nuts made from the seeds of the prickly water lily. Just launched in Germany as "Water Lily Pops".

The transformation is progressing worldwide, keep an open mind and stay curious so that we Europeans can keep pace.

Greetings from

Q.: India is on its way to becoming a global player. The country has been growing continuously for years: economically, and scientifically, but also demographically. Nevertheless, we in Europe have focussed more on China than on India as a strategic partner. This is even though India is a democracy and China is not. And you still get the impression that we are focussing more and more on China, or is that deceptive?

A.: I agree with you, we do too much and unfortunately also too blindly "China" and we do too little in India. For geopolitical reasons, it makes a lot of sense not just to focus on China, but also on other partners such as India. India is also inspiring in terms of economic policy. In contrast to China, India continues to have a growing population and, above all, a growing middle class. Both of these factors speak in favour of expanding our economic relations both as a sales market and as a production and service location. And if these are not enough reasons - India is home to slightly less than 20% of the world's population. So without India, there will be no solution to climate and environmental issues.
 

Photo credits: Copyright Dominik Butzmann

From a biological point of view, they are not actually "nuts", but peanut-sized seeds of the Prickly Water Lily, black when they are harvested by hand, heated, and "cracked". Then white and flavoured. Makhana nuts are the snack by definition in India, like pretzel sticks here. Previously completely unknown in Germany. But that is now changing.

Around 246,000 Indians live in Germany. Three times as many as ten years ago - and the trend is rising. We visited one of them in Berlin: Shweta Pahuja. She had the idea of bringing Indian snacks to Germany and supplementing the offer of snacks here. Under the name „Just Nosh“, she sells flavoured "Water Lily Pops", i.e. the seeds of water lilies. 

Click here for the full article. 

Do you produce alternative foods, but the fermentation process is too expensive?  New AI platform revolutionises protein research: Shiru launches ProteinDiscovery.ai - an "Amazon for proteins". Using machine learning and biotechnology, it offers an innovative solution for discovering new proteins while providing a catalogue of other proteins with the same functionality, but it may be much better expressed in a microbial fermentation process. The result: lower production costs. The path to sustainable nutrition is being redefined.

Stephan Tromp, Deputy Managing Director of the German Retail Association, invites us to the annual Food Safety Kongress.

In a time of great instability, the congress offers a platform to discuss new approaches and strategies. Experts and industry leaders will share their insights and present innovative strategies to tackle the challenges of food safety. Join the event to discuss the latest developments and network with peers.

For more information and to register, please visit the event website. 

When: 04.06.2024 – 05.06.2024

Where: Steigenberger Hotel Am Kanzleramt, Ella-Trebe-Straße 5, 10557 Berlin

Here to register. 

After a break of several years, India Day is back again. On 13th June 2024, the conference in Cologne will offer a platform for exchanging information and experiences on "Doing Business in India". Entrepreneurs and experts will receive up-to-date insights and practical presentations on the Indian market. A must-attend event for internationally active entrepreneurs.

For more information and to register, please visit the event website. 

When: 13.06.2024 

Where: KölnSKY GmbH, Ottoplatz 1, D-50679 Köln

For questions please contact Elena Corrado:

E elena.corrado@globalfoodsummit.com
T (+49) 30 21 96 05 20