What’s for dinner tomorrow? At Cargill Vilvoorde, the R&D team explores this question every day in their food innovation lab. They analyze emerging food trends and translate them into future-proof ingredients for the food industry.

By 2030, the Belgian food industry aims to reduce its CO₂ emissions by 40%. Brewery Huyghe in Melle turns these ambitions into tangible, drinkable initiatives. Together with malting group Boortmalt, the brewery is now the first in Belgium to brew beer with CO₂-negative malt.

Consumer behavior isn’t just shifting, it’s accelerating. For food companies with international ambitions, understanding markets is no longer enough. The real competitive edge lies in spotting the societal undercurrents that quietly, but decisively, reshape demand.

The European federation FoodDrinkEurope has adopted and launched Fenavian’s training programme and tool as the standard for the food and drink industry across Europe. Making it the first industry in Europe to implement such a standard.

Every day, our food companies take responsibility for helping consumers eat and drink in a more balanced way. One inspiring example is The Mocktail Club, founded by sisters Marie and Kaat Claessens.

During the Belgian Economic Mission to California, Brasserie de l’Abbaye du Val-Dieu showed how Belgian exports can grow while staying deeply rooted at home. With nine new contracts in San Francisco and Los Angeles, the brewery aims to double its sales in the United States.

They came, they saw, they sampled. And once again, the Belgians proved there’s real power in sticking together! No fewer than 25 Fevia members crossed the Atlantic to showcase their products at PLMA Chicago, North America’s biggest private-label trade fair.

At Anuga, the largest international food and drinks trade fair, more than two hundred Belgian companies showed once again that innovation is our most flavourful export. We spotted four major trends and eight Belgian innovations that bring them to life.

The future of our vegetables lies in the soil. And today, frozen vegetable giant Ardo is taking bold steps there. With its renewed sustainability program MIMOSA+, the West-Flemish family business is investing in regenerative agriculture.