Circular economy, agrifood industry and distribution

Circular economy has established itself in public policies and business strategies, confirming itself as a trend of the future at the European level. Its practical integration along the logistics chain of the agrifood and distribution industry has a huge innovative potential, while at the same time presenting great challenges for its implementation.

Among the various challenges to advance in the transition towards a more circular production and consumption pattern, the fact that in order to achieve the objectives it is impossible to advance in isolation, but rather requires the involvement of all actors in the supply chain, including society.

In this regard, the Mercadona Chair of Circular Economy at the UPF Barcelona School of Management (UPF-BSM), directed by Carolina Luis Bassa, is organising a series of conferences entitled "Circular economy, agrifood industry and distribution: trends, innovation and challenges" to reflect on the prospects of the circular economy in the agrifood sector, starting with the projection that the European Union is making in this direction and taking the concept to the business, social and academic spheres, identifying lines of progress and pitfalls to overcome.

Sessions, to be held on 31 May from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm at the Balmes Auditorium of the UPF-BSM, will serve to contrast the imaginaries that the concept of circular economy is generating in the different spheres in which it is combined. 

Program

9:30 am – Welcome

• Prof. José M. Martínez-Sierra, Director General of the UPF Barcelona School of Management

9:35 am – Presentation of the conferences

• Prof. Carolina Luis Bassa, Director of the Mercadona Chair in Circular Economy (UPF-BSM)

9:45 am – Lecture "Future Prospects for The Circular Economy in Europe"

• Ms. María Rincón, Circular Economy Team-Leader of the Environment Directorate-General at the European Comission

10:20 am – Panel "Vision of the Agrifood Sector and Distribution"

• Ms. Neus Moltó, Head of Corporate Communications at Logifruit
• Mr. Antonio Romero, Director of Circular Economy at Mercadona
• Mr. Pedro Ruiz, Environmental Sustainability Expert at Nestlé

11:30 am – Coffee Break

11:30 am – Panel "The Reflection of The Circular Economy on Society and The Consumer"

• Ms. Mons Badia, President of Catalan Environmentalists Collegium
• Mr. Oriol Roa, Director of Catalan Consumers Union
• Mr. Alfred Vara, Director of Prevention & Waste Efficiency at Waste Catalan Agency

12:20 pm – Panel "State of Play from An Academic Perspective"

• Prof. Alba Bala, Researcher of the UNESCO Chair in Life Cycle and Climate Change (ESCI-UPF)
• Prof. Carolina Luis Bassa, Director of the Mercadona Chair in Circular Economy (UPF-BSM)
• Prof. Josep-Francesc Valls, Director of the Chair of Future Scenarios for Retail, Turism and Services (UPF-BSM)

13:20 pm – Conclusions

• Ms. Alba Cabañas, partner-director of SustainThinking

13:30 pm – Closing

• Ms. Margarita Muñoz, General Director of Circular Economy of Mercadona

Register here!

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