Fedima’s Annual General Assembly Focuses on Resilience in the Supply Chain

Fedima, the Federation of European Manufacturers and Suppliers of Ingredients to the Bakery, Confectionary and Patisseries Industries, organized a panel with members from across the bakery ingredients sector to discuss resilience in the bakery supply chain. The panel discussion, moderated by EurActiv agri-food and health policy journalist Gerardo Fortuna, took place in the context of Fedima’s Annual General Assembly (GA) in Antwerp, Belgium on 22 and 23 September 2022.

The discussion focused on several topics, including the crises facing the supply chain, sustainability, digitalisation, and data usage. Opening the session, Pieter Devuyst, News Analyst for European Food and Agriculture Policies at S&P Global, gave an overview of the main challenges for the industry, focusing on the impact of the war in Ukraine, the EU’s policy responses, and the EU’s continued push for more sustainability in food supply chains. He noted that “the challenges for the European bakery industry are unprecedented and are seriously testing the resilience of food supply chains”. 

Nelli Hajdu, Secretary General of CELCAA, emphasized the “need to invest in making food systems more sustainable at a broader, global level.” She continued, noting that “in order for supply chains to be resilient, accessibility of data is key. It is what will enable businesses to surmount many of the challenges facing them today, such as transport of goods across border controls. We need to be included in policy decisions, whilst becoming more digital and creative in order to adapt effectively to the crisis ahead in a sustainable manner”. 

Leena Whittaker, Director of Competitiveness at EuroCommerce, noted that “policymakers’ actions sometimes do not take into account the complexity of supply chains. This is why associations and businesses should be part of the conversation from the start, to share the reality and explain the potential effects of policy decisions. When considering improving sustainability in supply chains, what we need is a collaborative approach, that offers legal certainty to try new methods and does not deter the first movers”. 

Fedima has also published a Position Paper for a Sustainable European Bakery Industry and a Vision Paper on Sustainable Packaging, aiming to help members improve their policies.

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