UZWIL, SWITZERLAND — More than 1,000 decision makers from the food, feed and mobility sectors are in Uzwil, Switzerland, this week to participate in Bühler’s Networking Days.

The event, which is held every three years, highlights examples of companies that provide tangible impact on mitigating climate change, eradicating poverty, creating employment, protecting and restoring nature, and improving food security.

At the center of the many keynotes, panels, and technology demonstrations is the question: How can the industries represented at Networking Days enable 10 billion people (by 2050) to live a good life within the boundaries of our planet? 

“Global industry has excellent examples of companies that are highly responsible, applying innovative technologies at the heart of their transformation, and through this, becoming economically healthier and addressing sustainability at the same time,” said Stefan Scheiber, chief executive officer, Bühler. “In fact, despite all the challenges we are facing — from climate change to food and energy insecurity to supply chain issues and social disruptions through to wars — I am convinced we can turn things around. Innovative technologies offer many business opportunities when they also address sustainability issues. We must not shy away from seizing these opportunities.”

Highlighted during the event are solutions from global companies, extraordinary entrepreneurs, startups, academia, and NGOs — all illustrating that solutions to global challenges can be found and delivered at an impactful scale.

Tangible examples of companies that balance nature, humanity, and economy in their decisions are shared at the Networking Days. Among them: a coffee company from Norway, which reduces CO2e emissions by 85% in its new facility; an entrepreneur in Angola, who has built a gigantic industrial food complex as a huge first step toward providing self-sufficient food security across the country; a battery manufacturer in the UK who is building Europe’s first Gigaplant with new mixing processes, reducing waste in the production process by 80%; and a miller in India who is making tortillas in a plant that reduces water consumption by 84% and eliminates wastewater. Many other companies in attendance are transforming the food system with sustainably delivered plant-based proteins.

Understanding that no single entity — be it a country, a company, or an individual — has the resources, know-how, or reach to tackle the global challenges facing the world, Bühler established the Networking Days in 2016 to bring together and nurture its growing global ecosystem of partners.

“We need massive collaboration among industry, startups, academia, educators, politics, NGOs and the public to manage and limit the effects of climate change, loss of biodiversity, and eliminate poverty,” said Ian Roberts, chief technology officer, Bühler.

Bühler said during the event it will celebrate and announce multiple partnerships that will facilitate the transition toward more efficient food and feed production and accelerate the transformation toward sustainable mobility.

“Our biggest impact comes from supporting our customers in reducing their energy consumption, waste generation, and water usage and at the same time ensure productivity and yield,” Scheiber said. “We have clear targets on these topics. By expanding our collaborative ecosystem, we can accelerate meaningful and lasting impact in the food, feed, and mobility industries.”