Some of the most valuable conversations at Foodtech Forum 2026 happened around the table. Through six Open Table Discussions, participants met in smaller groups to dig deeper into some of the questions shaping the future of food, from AI and circularity to scaling, investment and new business models. One conversation focused on a question becoming increasingly important for food businesses: how can we secure access to resources in uncertain times? Here are some of the key insights from the discussion, led by Emma Dalväg, CEO, Co-founder & Advisor at Unwasted.

Summary

The discussion explored how growing uncertainty around access to raw materials, water, energy and other essential resources is changing the way food businesses approach sustainability and circularity.

Geopolitical tensions, rising commodity prices, supply chain disruptions and resource scarcity are making previously overlooked sustainability issues into strategic business concerns. Circularity is increasingly moving from the sustainability department to the management agenda, as companies recognise that resource efficiency and resilience are closely connected.

A central takeaway was that circularity is no longer only about sustainability – it is becoming a question of business resilience, competitiveness and resource security. While some companies are proactively developing circular business models, many are still reacting to rising costs and immediate pressures. Stronger collaboration across industry, SMEs, academia and the public sector will be essential to accelerate the transition.

Resource uncertainty is changing business priorities

Emma Dalväg shared insights from discussions with experts and industry representatives about the changing business landscape. Access to affordable resources, including coffee, water, energy and raw materials, is becoming increasingly unpredictable.

Companies are facing a situation in which previous assumptions about stable supply chains and resource availability can no longer be taken for granted. Issues that were once considered secondary sustainability concerns are now becoming strategic questions for company management.

However, many businesses still lack a holistic understanding of how resource dependencies affect their entire value chain. The discussion highlighted two broad responses: companies can either become more agile in reacting to change or proactively redesign their operations and business models to become more resilient.

Circularity creates opportunities to strengthen resilience

Examples from Swedish industry illustrated how circular approaches can help businesses reduce resource dependency and create additional value.

Sotenäs: The discussion highlighted the potential of geographically connected circular systems. By bringing different actors and resource flows together locally, businesses can create more integrated systems in which the outputs of one activity become inputs for another.

Lantmännen: A key example was the development of multiple value streams from the same raw material. By processing raw materials into several products, including ethanol and gluten, the company can extract more value from available resources. The same principle is being applied in the development of a new yellow pea factory.

These examples demonstrate that circularity can be more than waste management. It can become a strategic approach to resource utilisation, new revenue streams and industrial competitiveness.

Water and nutrients are critical areas for circular innovation

Water emerged as an important area where resource scarcity is already driving innovation. While Sweden has historically benefited from relatively favourable water availability, regions such as Gotland and Kalmar are experiencing greater pressure.

Examples involving farmers and food companies, including Kronfågel, illustrated opportunities to improve water recirculation and resource efficiency.

The discussion also highlighted Sweden’s dependence on external inputs such as fertilisers, seeds and animal feed. Improving the circulation of nutrients and making better use of available resources is therefore not simply an environmental ambition; it is also a matter of long-term food system security.

Participants emphasised the importance of looking beyond finished products to the entire system, including soil health, nutrients, water and other resource flows.

The business case for circularity is evolving – but unevenly

Participants questioned whether circularity is becoming more economically viable than it has been in the past.

The answer was nuanced. The business case depends on the resource in question, geographical location, sourcing arrangements and prevailing market conditions. For some businesses, circular solutions are becoming increasingly attractive, while others still struggle to make them financially viable.

Three approaches were evident:

• Proactive companies integrate resource efficiency and circularity into their long-term business strategy.
• Reactive companies respond when resource prices rise or supply becomes uncertain.
• Undecided companies move back and forth without committing to a clear direction.

The discussion suggested that the companies most likely to benefit are those that anticipate future resource constraints rather than waiting for a crisis to force change.

Participants also noted that some side streams may be available at little or no cost, creating opportunities for businesses that can identify and utilise them effectively.

SMEs need collaboration and practical support

A major challenge is that smaller companies often lack the time, capital and expertise to develop circular solutions independently.

Emma emphasised the importance of connecting SMEs with public-sector actors and other organisations that can help identify opportunities, share knowledge and support implementation.

Public procurement was highlighted as one potential lever. By prioritising robust, local and resource-efficient systems, public buyers can help create demand for circular solutions and encourage businesses to invest in new approaches.

Participants also discussed examples of untapped opportunities, such as municipalities purchasing surplus bread for freezing or selling remaining school meals to staff at the end of the day.

These examples illustrate how better coordination between organisations can reduce waste, improve resource utilisation and create value from existing resources.

The discussion also highlighted the role of larger companies. ICA shared how it works to identify opportunities for improvement throughout its supply chain and how collaboration can create value for both academia and industry.

Making side streams visible and connecting existing solutions

One recurring challenge was the lack of knowledge about available side streams and their potential uses.

Businesses may generate materials that could become valuable inputs for other companies, but these opportunities remain hidden when information is fragmented and organisations operate in isolation.

Participants suggested that a platform or another structured way of sharing information could help make side streams more visible and connect potential suppliers with users.

Coffee fruit was mentioned as an example of a resource that can generate substantial residual material but may offer opportunities for further utilisation.

More broadly, participants observed that many of the building blocks for a circular food system already exist. The challenge is to connect them, make them accessible and develop the partnerships needed to turn individual initiatives into a functioning system.

7. Consumer demand and the role of public actors

The discussion also addressed the challenge of consumer willingness to pay for sustainable products. If consumers become less willing or able to pay a premium, businesses may find it harder to finance sustainability initiatives through product sales alone.

This reinforces the need to develop circular business models that are commercially viable and competitive, rather than relying exclusively on consumers paying more.

Participants also highlighted the importance of public actors as relatively neutral conveners who can connect businesses, researchers and other stakeholders. Their role can be particularly valuable when collaboration requires organisations to look beyond their own immediate commercial interests.

Despite the challenges, the discussion ended on a cautiously optimistic note. Resource scarcity is creating stronger incentives for change, and promising examples already demonstrate what is possible.

Key takeaways

The discussion highlighted seven priorities for advancing circularity in the food system:

1. Treat resource security as a strategic business issue: Integrate circularity into business planning rather than leaving it solely to sustainability teams.
2. Extract more value from existing resources: Develop business models that turn side streams and residual materials into valuable inputs and new revenue streams.
3. Prioritise water, nutrients and soil health: Address fundamental resource dependencies across the entire food system.
4. Move from reactive to proactive action: Anticipate resource constraints and build resilience before disruptions occur.
5. Strengthen collaboration: Connect SMEs, large companies, academia and public-sector organisations to share knowledge and develop practical solutions.
6. Make side streams visible: Improve access to information about available resources and potential uses, potentially through shared platforms or networks.
7. Use procurement and local partnerships as drivers of change: Create demand for circular solutions and strengthen resource-efficient regional systems.

Overall conclusion

The discussion highlighted that circularity can help food businesses navigate uncertainty by reducing resource dependency, creating new revenue streams and strengthening resilience across supply chains.

However, the transition requires more than individual company initiatives. It depends on connecting existing solutions, sharing knowledge about underutilised resources and creating the commercial and institutional conditions that make circular business models viable.

The central message was that crises can create opportunities for change. As resources become more uncertain, the ability to use them more efficiently, circulate them locally and extract greater value from every resource becomes an increasingly important competitive advantage.

Some of the most valuable conversations at Foodtech Forum 2026 happened around the table. Through six Open Table Discussions, participants met in smaller groups to dig deeper into some of the questions shaping the future of food, from AI and circularity to scaling, investment and new business models.

One of these conversations, Harvesting Intelligence, explored how AI can improve performance across the agrifood sector, and what companies need to consider as the technology becomes increasingly integrated into their businesses. Here are some of the key insights from the discussion, led by Måns Ullerstam, CEO & General Partner at Kale United and Chair of the Board at Grönare Sverige.

Summary

The discussion explored how artificial intelligence can improve performance across the agrifood value chain, from product development and business operations to production and decision-making. Participants discussed both the opportunities AI creates for foodtech companies and the challenges related to data ownership, workforce transformation, inequality and environmental impact.

A central takeaway was that many companies are experimenting with AI but have yet to develop a clear strategy for integrating it into their business. Rather than attempting a large-scale transformation from the outset, companies should start with smaller, practical applications, learn from the results and gradually build AI capabilities that create long-term value.

From experimenting with AI to integrating it into the business

Many companies are currently exploring AI tools, testing different models and allowing employees to experiment in their daily work. While this is a useful first step, the discussion highlighted the need to move beyond general experimentation towards more strategic applications.

Three stages of AI adoption emerged:

1. Learning and exploration: Becoming familiar with AI tools and understanding their capabilities.
2. Improving existing processes: Using AI as a practical assistant to save time, reduce costs and improve activities such as R&D, marketing and administration.
3. Integrating AI into the business: Embedding AI into workflows, software and core processes to generate lasting improvements and build company-specific data capabilities.

The third stage offers the potential for a more sustainable competitive advantage. Companies should consider how they can accumulate and use their own data over time, developing capabilities that are difficult for competitors to replicate.

Data ownership and open versus closed systems

Data ownership emerged as an important strategic question. Companies need to consider how they use AI tools without losing control over valuable business information or becoming overly dependent on external technology providers.

Participants discussed the balance between open-source solutions, open systems and closed systems built around proprietary data. Open approaches can support collaboration and benefit entire communities, while closed systems can help companies protect sensitive information and develop unique capabilities.

There is no single solution for every business. The appropriate approach depends on the company’s needs, data sensitivity and strategic ambitions. A combination of open and closed solutions is likely to be relevant for many companies.

Key takeaway: Companies should develop an intentional approach to data ownership and understand how their information is stored, used and shared when adopting AI.

AI is transforming productivity, company growth and employment

Participants shared examples of AI enabling smaller teams to achieve significantly more than before. One company described how two people could now perform work previously requiring five. Another participant reflected that AI could substantially shorten product development timelines and reduce the number of employees needed to build a business.

These developments could make it faster and easier to start companies, accelerate innovation and free up resources for higher-value activities.

However, the discussion also raised concerns about the impact on employment, particularly junior roles. If experienced employees can use AI to perform tasks previously assigned to junior colleagues, companies may hire fewer entry-level employees. This creates a longer-term challenge: how will tomorrow’s senior experts gain the experience they need if fewer junior positions are available today?

Participants also emphasised that people and industries adapt at different speeds. While AI adoption may accelerate productivity in some sectors, others need more time to develop the necessary skills and capabilities.

The discussion therefore pointed to the importance of developing new skills, supporting adaptation and rethinking how companies train and develop future talent.

Start small: focus on practical, low-risk applications

A practical recommendation was to begin with simple applications rather than immediately introducing AI into the most critical or strategic parts of a business.

Potential starting points include:

• Administrative and repetitive tasks.
• HR processes.
• Marketing and communication.
• Internal knowledge management.
• Selected R&D and product development activities.

Starting with relatively low-risk tasks allows companies to experiment, learn and identify where AI creates measurable value without putting critical operations at risk.

Once an application works well, the company can build on that experience and expand into other areas.

Participants also highlighted the value of companies learning from one another and sharing experiences, helping the wider agrifood ecosystem identify useful applications and avoid repeating the same mistakes.

AI’s environmental footprint and its role in sustainable food systems

The environmental impact of AI was another important theme. AI can help food companies improve efficiency, optimise resource use and develop more sustainable products and production processes. Given the environmental footprint of food production, these applications could offer significant benefits.

At the same time, AI infrastructure consumes energy and other resources. Participants questioned whether the environmental costs of expanding data centres could undermine some of the sustainability gains AI is intended to deliver.

The discussion highlighted the need to consider AI’s overall environmental impact, including energy consumption, land use and water use, rather than focusing solely on the benefits of individual applications.

The key question is how AI can be directed towards reducing the environmental footprint of the food system while ensuring that the technology itself is developed and used responsibly.

Who benefits from AI – and what are the wider societal implications?

Beyond business performance, participants discussed the broader implications of AI for society. While the technology can increase productivity and create new opportunities, there were concerns that its benefits may accrue disproportionately to a relatively small number of companies and individuals.

The discussion also acknowledged that powerful technologies can be used for both beneficial and harmful purposes. This raises questions about responsibility, governance and how society can ensure that AI contributes to broader social and environmental progress.

Although AI offers considerable potential, its outcomes will depend on how companies, policymakers and society choose to develop and apply it.

Key takeaways

The discussion highlighted six priorities for agrifood companies exploring AI:

1. Start small and practical: Begin with simple, low-risk tasks where AI can save time and resources.
2. Move from experimentation to strategy: Progress from individual tools towards integrating AI into business processes.
3. Build on your own data: Develop company-specific data capabilities while maintaining appropriate control over sensitive information.
4. Learn and scale gradually: Share experiences with other companies, measure results and expand successful applications.
5. Prepare for workforce transformation: Invest in new skills and consider how to develop future talent as AI changes traditional entry-level roles.
6. Evaluate the full impact: Use AI to improve food system sustainability while remaining aware of its energy consumption and wider societal consequences.

Overall conclusion

AI offers significant opportunities to improve productivity, accelerate foodtech innovation and support a more sustainable and resilient food system. However, value does not come from adopting AI tools alone. Companies need to understand where the technology can solve real problems, protect and develop their data capabilities, and build the skills needed to integrate AI effectively.

The practical recommendation from the discussion was to start with something small or routine, learn from the experience and scale up gradually – while maintaining ownership and control of your data.