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| Stefan Scheiber, chief executive officer of the Bühler Group. |
“We take the responsibility of the food and feed industry for a sustainable world very seriously,” said Stefan Scheiber, chief executive officer of the Bühler Group. “It is time to step up and make a difference.”
The challenges for the food industry are enormous. According to Bühler, approximately 65% of global water consumption and 25% of all energy use is related to food and feed production. The world population is still growing and more than 30% of all food is wasted, the company added.
Bühler said developed countries suffer from overweight and obesity with an estimated impact of $2 trillion worldwide, and at the same time, an estimated 840 million people suffer from hunger.
All of this is occurring against a backdrop of a world population that is predicted to grow to more than nine billion people by 2050.
“It’s time now that the private industry steps up and makes a difference,” Scheiber said.
Bühler has made the commitment to address this challenge globally, with its key customers and partners at its Bühler Networking Days.
“As the leader of our industry, we want to anticipate megatrends and lead the discussion about how our businesses will evolve in the future,” Scheiber said. “Our industry plays a key role — since corn, rice, and wheat are the most important staple foods for four billion people. And with the impending protein gap, grain-processing will become even more important.”
During the three-day networking event set for Aug. 22-24, top speakers are expected to provide insights into the latest developments in the areas of nutrition, food and feed safety, sustainability, and “Internet of Things,” which is an idea in which everyday objects have network connectivity, allowing them to send and receive data. Break-out sessions, expert tours, and a major solutions space will provide participants an area in which they may exchange and develop ideas, network, and discuss how the grain-processing industry may address the challenge of feeding nine billion people healthily and sustainably.
Bühler’s commitment to educating and training customers to be able to operate the latest equipment sustainably also is reflected at the event, with the presence of the Swiss and the African Milling Schools, as well as the Swiss Institute of Feed Technology.
Every year, Bühler said it invests up to 5% of its sales into research and development. The resulting innovations make a significant difference in feeding a growing world population and reducing energy and water usage, the company said.
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| Johannes Wick, CEO of Grains & Food for Bühler. |
During the Bühler Networking Days, Bühler is presenting more than 30 innovations in the specifically built exhibition area in Uzwil, covering 1,800 square meters. A number of newly-developed solutions are being launched specifically at the event, for instance, the latest generation of the pasta-drying solution, Ecothermatic, with energy savings of up to 40%, or the high-precision scale Tubex, which reduces energy costs by over 90%.
“This is a great platform for us to present our latest innovations and exchange ideas with customers and partners,” said Johannes Wick, CEO of Grains & Food for Bühler. “I’m proud of over 30 innovations, which are being shown here at the Bühler Networking Days.”
