The morning opened with Compass Group Belgium, whose strategy stands out in the European food service sector. Their ambitious climate roadmap has achieved tangible results: a 25% reduction in food waste by 2024, en route to a 50% cut by 2030. Their AI-powered waste management system uses smart cameras to identify what’s being discarded in kitchens, enabling tailored reduction strategies site by site. Add to this a robust programme of food donations and the creative use of surplus produce – such as 32 tonnes of “ugly” vegetables transformed into soups and sauces – and you have a blueprint for scalable, measurable impact.
From the strategic level, the City of Antwerp’s Food Strategy is the city’s pride. Framed around circularity, inclusivity, innovation and culinary culture, it doesn’t just aim to support local supply chains. It targets systemic change, tackling food waste and urban food poverty through, among other measures, the city’s network of Food Savers distribution points. Additionally, it integrates sustainable urban farming and promotes a shift in protein consumption patterns through initiatives like the Green Deal Protein Shift.
Gemmeke de Jongh, representing ICCA, challenged the industry to see itself as a catalyst for change. “We produce enough food for the world and yet we waste far too much,” she noted. ICCA’s own Bangkok Protocol and The Pledge provide both a call to action and practical tools for venues and organisers to adopt sustainable gastronomy without sacrificing quality or experience. “We can still have good food and good drinks,” she said, “but we must look at where food comes from and how we include that thinking in our planning.”
That thinking was brought to life at the MICHELIN Gala Dinner that same evening, also held at Handelsbeurs. Here, innovation and indulgence coexisted, as top chefs served artistic small plates based on seasonality, low-impact ingredients, and inventive use of local produce.
In the next issue of Boardroom, we’ll unpack the city’s approach in greater depth. For now, one thing is clear: Antwerp is fast becoming Europe’s reference point for sustainable culinary leadership.
Meet the Antwerp team at Imex in Frankfurt at booth E150.