Event Overview & Summary

From 24 to 25 August 2026, the New Food Conference took place in Berlin, bringing together key decision-makers from the food industry, retail, agriculture, and policy to jointly drive forward the plant-based and alternative protein sector’s transition towards a mature, resilient industry standard.

On 24 August, ProVeg commenced with two exclusive high-impact pre-conference formats: the "Innovation Tour: Berlin Deep Dive", which provided delegates with valuable venture capital market insights, a food-tech facility tour with tastings, and a curated retail check; followed by the "Leaders for Protein Diversity" executive dinner, where senior leaders gathered to share proven practices and initiate strategic alliances.

On 25 August, over 260 leading representatives convened at the iconic Gasometer on the EUREF Campus in Berlin for the main conference day. Under the overarching theme "Beyond the Hype: Resilient Systems, Cross-Industry Alliances", the New Food Conference 2026 successfully highlighted the sector’s evolution from an emerging startup ecosystem into a commercially established industry.

Focus Areas & Key Takeaways

Volumes, Contracts & Scale

Addressed strategies for volume growth, demonstrated how market penetration unlocks new consumer segments, highlighted the role of production contracts for raw material supply, and analysed how to establish routine purchasing habits in retail.

• "Consumers Reward Relevance": 75% of consumers prioritize products that integrate seamlessly and effortlessly into their daily routines.
• Private Label Growth: Private label products (such as those from main sponsor Lidl in Germany) are currently major drivers of market volume growth. As Miriam Schroer (CSR Director, Lidl) highlighted, consumers expect plant-based choices to be immediately accessible alongside conventional items.

Health, Technology & Taste

Explored the symbiosis between technology and enjoyment, brought clarity to health debates through nutritional comparisons, looked at how GLP-1 agonists influence purchasing behaviour, and settled culinary and functional quality as the benchmark.

• Long-Term Health & Prevention: Addressing the reality that plant-based does not automatically equal healthy. Futurist Daniel Anthes emphasized that to maintain credibility, the industry must shift focus from immediate consumer benefits to long-term health, gut microbiome care, and disease prevention.

Protein Sovereignty

Debated political roadmaps, viewed supply chain crises as opportunities for growth, looked at transition technologies to better integrate traditional farming and meat industries, and examined how to put abstract sustainability goals into practice.

• De-Risking Agriculture: Patricia Rishi Sundstrom (Farm Adaptation Network) noted that banks often see new protein crops as uncertain rather than just risky. Multi-year purchasing contracts (Abnahmegarantien) translate this uncertainty into predictable numbers, restoring farm creditworthiness and building resilient value chains.