Seeds & Chips

The global food innovation summit Seeds & Chips returns to Milan from June 6 – 9 and here’s what you can expect.

The European summit schedule reads like a power list of everyone who is involved in food tech and innovation. It’s like the Davos for the future of food.

With over 120,000 attendees over the three days, 300 speakers and 50 sessions and events there’s an immense amount of opportunity to connect, network and learn from thousands of innovators from over the world. With the aim to build a better food system for all, innovation creates opportunities to explore trends, develop product, and discover new technology. Every year, thousands of startups and companies showcase solutions for the entire agrifood chain in the Exhibition Hall.

This Time For Africa - A New Sustainable Renaissance

Africa, the mother continent that gave us life on this planet, takes a cetral role in this year’s Seeds & Chips. Long left out of the conversation on food security and agricultural innovation, the continent’s vast resources, escalating needs and the innate ingeniousness of its people make it perfectly placed to lead the charge for a more sustainable and abundant food future.

The 5th edition of the Summit will have a significant focus on Africa's potential to lead the world in sustainable development. Leading this discussion will be a range of African influencers, prominent institutional personalities and leaders including: Olusegun Obasanjo, Sarah Mbi Enow Anyang Epse Agbor, Donald Kaberuka, Yvonne Lokko and many more.

Keynote Speakers

As usual Seeds & Chips has lined up a stellar list of names in development, politics and innovation to deliver their keynote speeches. Last year Barack Obama brought A-list quality to proceedings and this year there is a diverse and fascinating roll call of names to look forward to.

• Alec Baldwin, Actor
• Olusegun Obasanjo, Former President of Nigeria
• HRH Princess Viktória de Bourbon de Parme, Patron of Save the Children
• Sarah Mbi Enow Anyang Epse Agbor, African Union Commission, Commissioner For Human Resources Science And Technology
• Maria Cristina Finucci, President of The Garbage Patch State
• Susan Rockefeller, Board Member of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture
• Rajiv Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation
• Maria Helena Semedo, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
• Deputy Director-General, Climate and Natural Resources
• Kerry Kennedy, President of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights

Teenovators

This year Seeds & Chips has specifically sought the next generation, teenaged and young innovators and activists in a category called ‘Teenovators’ (I can just see them rolling their eyes in appreciation!). This year has seen our youngest people, those who will be most affected by climate change take things into their own hands and it is an affirmative phenomenon that restores faith in humanity. Young people must be listened to and at Seeds & Chiips they’ll have some very influential ears in the audience. Speakers in the category include:

• Zoe Baccini, Student, 16
• Melaniya Benedichuk, 17
• Francesca Bianchi, Student, 17
• Sofiia Khrystyna Borysiuk, Co-Founder, Compola, 13
• Savannah Bucciarelli, Student, 16
• Riccardo Buondonno, Student, 16
• Genesis Butler, Founder, Genesis For Animals, 12
• Ayrton Cable, Social Entrepreneur, WAFA Youth, 16
• Rebecca Costa, Student, 15
• Xóchitl Guadalupe Cruz López, Student, 10
• Emilio Dalla Torre, Student, 18
• Caterina Devenuto, Student, 15