Exploring how biotechnology, sustainable agriculture, and food innovation are redefining global consumption and the future of nutrition.

Description

The food-tech sector is entering a more mature phase. The challenge is no longer a lack of innovation, but how to scale promising technologies under real-world constraints—cost, regulation, supply chains, and market adoption. This roundtable brings together operators, scientists, and business leaders working across cultivated meat, precision fermentation, functional ingredients, and food manufacturing platforms. Rather than focusing on vision alone, the discussion will center on what is actually changing now, where progress is stalling, and which decisions will determine whether food-tech innovations can move beyond pilots into durable, commercial adoption.

Speakers

Paul Shapiro

Co-founder and CEO, The Better Meat Co.

Dr. Parke Wilde

Professor, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University

Jordi Ferre

CEO, Myco Technology

Dr. Monica Giusti

Associate Chair and Professor, Food Science and Technology Department, The Ohio State University

Guided Questions

Dr. Monica Giusti

From an academic and translational research perspective, where do you see the largest gaps between laboratory innovation and real-world manufacturing, especially as companies face pressure to prove both nutritional value and regulatory compliance?

Jordi Ferre

With your decades of global leadership in food ingredients and agritech, what lessons from traditional ingredient commercialization are most relevant as precision fermentation and fungal-based innovations attempt to scale under increasing cost and regulatory scrutiny?

Dr. Parke Wilde

Drawing on your expertise in food economics and federal nutrition policy, how should policymakers and innovators think about the role of food-tech solutions in addressing affordability and food security at scale, rather than just sustainability goals?

Paul Shapiro

As someone deeply involved in shaping the narrative around alternative proteins, how should food-tech companies recalibrate their messaging and go-to-market strategies now that the industry is shifting from vision-driven storytelling to performance-driven results?