Sustainable Foods Summit Europe 2026: Supply chain risk, biodiversity loss and ingredient costs

Regenerative agriculture, climate resilience, and a coordinated approach are central to transforming the food system, as highlighted by industry players at the annual Sustainable Food Summit Europe in the Netherlands. 

At the Amsterdam event, Food Ingredients First saw greater concerns regarding climate impacts on supply chains, geopolitical factors raising ingredient costs, and EU regulations adding pressure on ethical sourcing. 

Experts urged businesses to focus on formulation ingredient decisions, where AI and verification tools could help make better, sustainable choices. However, they also stated that obtaining investment is a major barrier to scaling and transitioning to more sustainable agricultural practices on the ground.

Furthermore, AI firm ChAI highlighted several factors causing the supply chain to become more complex, not because there is more conflict than before, but because data is oversaturated. The company highlighted how food companies can use AI to cut through the noise and be better prepared against new crises.

In other presentations, ING highlighted how geopolitics, such as the Iran war, are shaping European exports to the Gulf and impacting food markets and prices. 

Meanwhile, AKA Foods underscored that ultimately, it is not the sustainability goals or dashboards nor annual reports that drive sustainable business but the formulation, ingredients, and supplier choices.

Overcoming future supply chain risks with AI

Tristan Fletcher, CEO and co-founder of ChAI, noted that climate change is one major factor causing complexity in supply chains, alongside sustainability pressures from the EU Deforestation Regulation or carbon reporting rules. Additionally, geopolitical issues like wars and trade, and market risks, such as currency fluctuations and changing consumer demand, add complications.

Speakers at the summit called for unified frameworks and farmer support to advance biodiversity and regenerative agriculture goals.“Sustainability initiatives have changed procurement from a sourcing problem into an information problem,” so although more transparency is useful, it has become more difficult to manage, Fletcher said.

However, he stated that today’s landscape is not more complex than before, but more information about such factors makes it appear to be more complex and challenging for businesses to navigate.

Looking back at previous supply chain crises, Fletcher points out that most of them “look obvious.” He referred to the Ukraine war, which impacted wheat, sunflower oil, and fertilizers, while the Red Sea supply chain disruption affected freight and coffee. The cocoa crisis is affecting chocolate and confectionery, the avian flu impacted eggs, while the European energy crisis affects fertilizer and food production.

However, Fletcher said that the warning signs of these major events existed across weather, trade, and logistics. The solution, he added, is to recognize the patterns early. Large disruptions often begin as a collection of weak signals, which could be slowing rainfall, rising disease, slowing export inspections, tightening inventories, or increased freight disruption. A strong signal, for instance, can be seen when cocoa prices rise.

Fletcher concluded that AI can help detect upcoming supply chain risks by analyzing signals that matter so that the industry is better prepared and more resilient to future food challenges.

Geopolitics hit ingredient costs 

ING’s senior economist Thijs Geijer, team lead of Global Sector Research, presented on how the war in the Middle East has resonant impacts on the F&B industry.

He shared that the global use of nitrogen-based fertilizer has dropped since the Iran war and is expected to continue falling until the Strait of Hormuz is reopened.

Europe is not concerned about fertilizer availability, but about prices rising, adds Geijer. Fertilizer imports were noted to spike in December 2025, but strongly dropped this year.Geijer stated that there has been a drop of 50% of exports of dairy (milk powder) from Europe to the Gulf region.

Geijer pointed out that inflation has been picking up this year, yet it is not at the levels of what was seen in 2021–2022, making it less of a concern than before. Furthermore, on the consumer side, Europeans are saving more, even though a large population has the spending power.

Meanwhile, he stated that there has been a drop of 50% of exports of dairy (milk powder) from Europe to the Gulf region. Potato exports have a 60% drop.

As companies search for new markets to sell to fill this gap, he pointed to new political deals, such as the EU’s recent India deal, that could help long-term export security if companies act on opportunities in the coming years.

In terms of sustainability, Geijer shared that many companies (Fortune Global 500) on a global scale have carbon targets with a slight increase in nature-related targets.

Overall, Geijer reported that the economy and companies have become more resilient in responding to geopolitical factors.

Product reformulation and verification

Another use of AI was also highlighted at the summit to overcome product reformulation issues. Saul Abrahams, VP of Business Development at AKA Foods, observed that companies face challenges caused by inflation, availability of raw materials, and making products more cost-effective with a lower footprint. 

Ultimately, it comes down to making the right ingredient choices. Abrahams believes AI can help companies choose the right ingredients that balance cost, taste, texture, nutrition, and sustainability during reformulation.

Dr. Rudolf A. Overbeek, senior VP of Corporate Development & Strategic Relationships at Foodchain ID, pointed out that consumers are increasingly seeking verified products as trust indicators for sustainability. This extends to healthy foods as they increasingly see health and sustainability as interconnected and are willing to pay more for them. 

Caroline Holme, executive director of advisory firm GlobeScan, underscored that 65% of consumers want to eat healthier and more sustainably, but affordability and availability remain the biggest barriers to action.

Biodiversity remains a challenge

Across the presentations, several experts agreed that biodiversity is not just an ecological obligation, but a business risk that companies should not ignore.

Rik Kutsch Lojenga, executive director of the Union for Ethical BioTrade in Amsterdam, noted that biodiversity awareness has risen (72%) since the creation of the biodiversity barometer in 2009 (29%). He shared that consumers rank biodiversity as the second most important factor, following climate change, indicating that interest is rising. The organization has also found that consumers expect companies to support more biodiversity, so by purchasing sustainable products, they can make a positive impact.Industry experts gathered in Amsterdam to address mounting supply chain risks, regulatory pressure, and the role of AI in sustainable sourcing.

However, Lojenga points out that companies are making choices when under price pressure — sustainability budgets are cut, and focus is placed on what is most critical to the business. He notes that investing in biodiversity can ultimately help businesses, as it boosts climate resilience down supply chains, while advancing climate and nature goals.

Marco Schlüter, director of Strategy & International at Naturland Agroforestry, points out a need to boost biodiversity through agroforestry. This also reduces reliance on deforestation, while securing yield in the long term.

Tess Robinson Hayes, senior associate of Agriculture & Food at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, concurs and highlighted that food systems are a primary driver of biodiversity loss. However, the key challenges to achieving this point are cost-effectiveness, harmonization of sustainability goals, and scalability.

Luc Beerens, global sustainable sourcing director at Royal Canin, agreed that one framework is required, though it remains a challenge as to how this can be achieved. He points to the example of when the food safety framework was established, indicating a similar unification initiative is required for a more sustainable food system.

More practically, Beerens said that the work needs to start with supporting the farmers and their transition to organic or regenerative agriculture. Secondly, there is a need to get supply chain stakeholders involved on the ground.

Sarah Ceska, deputy director of Responsible Sourcing at Proforest, UK, called for pushing the financial flow to producing lands, as this will ultimately support sector transformation.

The Landbanking Group underscored that this challenge can be overcome if ecological data are translated into economic data. Sustainability departments and experts have significant data, but it is challenging for businesses and banks to see its value. There is a need to quantify the benefits firms would receive in return when ecological practices are adopted in order to obtain investment, advised its Customer Partnerships Specialist, Peenaz Irani.