SIAL’s Dialogues de l’Alimentation: Food, diplomacy and innovation at the heart of global strategy
Held in Paris in June 2025, Les Dialogues de l’Alimentation du SIAL gathered leading voices from across the global food sector for a half-day of reflection and exchange. Organised by the SIAL Network, the event brought together institutional representatives, food professionals and experts to address challenges facing the agri-food industry.
Among the speakers were Nicolas Trentesaux, Managing Director of the SIAL Network, François Blanc from the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Audrey Ashworth, Director of SIAL Paris, and Pierre Raffard, geographer and expert in the geopolitics of food.
Facing a shifting global landscape
In his opening remarks, Nicolas Trentesaux reminded attendees that the world is undergoing a period of profound instability. Slowing economies, geopolitical tensions, environmental pressures and shifting consumer behaviours are all reshaping the food sector. Yet, he emphasised, these difficulties are also opportunities — for those willing to innovate and adapt.
He highlighted the world’s growing population as both a challenge and a powerful lever for growth. Since SIAL’s founding in 1964, the global population has more than doubled, from 3.2 to 8.2 billion. By 2050, it is expected to reach nearly 10 billion, with 70% living in urban areas. Meeting their needs will require a radical transformation of food production and distribution systems, including a projected 50 to 70 percent increase in food output.
To rise to the occasion, Trentesaux called for greater investment in key technologies such as artificial intelligence to optimise resource use, blockchain to improve transparency and traceability, and agronomic research to develop the seeds and proteins of the future. In this evolving context, he argued, the SIAL Network — through its worldwide events and particularly SIAL Paris — has a critical role to play in bringing together stakeholders, fostering innovation and supporting national strategies.
SIAL Paris: Business platform, innovation hub, and diplomatic stage
Picking up the thread, Audrey Ashworth underlined the unique status of SIAL Paris as more than just a trade show. It is, she explained, a space where business, inspiration and diplomacy are deeply interconnected. The event offers unmatched commercial visibility, drawing tens of thousands of buyers and sellers from nearly 200 countries. But it is also a space for creativity, where future-facing ideas, product innovations, and start-ups converge to shape tomorrow’s food ecosystem.
Beyond commerce and innovation, Ashworth emphasised the show’s role as a platform for culinary diplomacy and national influence. With over 110 official delegations expected at SIAL Paris 2026, the presence of governments, institutions and national pavilions has become a strategic lever for both commercial promotion and political soft power. This visibility, she said, helps nations secure trade partnerships, support their exporters and signal their priorities on the world stage — whether in terms of sustainability, food sovereignty or innovation.
SIAL Paris 2026, which will take place from 17 to 21 October, is already set to build on the success of its previous edition, with over 7,700 exhibitors and 295,000 professionals expected. From new initiatives like SIAL Taste and expanded innovation zones to in-depth insight programmes and international summits, the next edition will once again position Paris at the centre of the global food conversation.
Gastrodiplomacy and soft power
Also speaking at the private event, Pierre Raffard provided a compelling perspective on the political dimension of food. In his address, he explored the growing use of food and cuisine as tools of international influence — what is now commonly referred to as gastrodiplomacy. Increasingly, nations use their food culture and agri-food exports not just to generate revenue, but to project values, identity, and credibility abroad.
Food has become a vehicle for expressing national strategy, particularly in an age where sustainability, sovereignty and health dominate global discourse. The presence of a national pavilion, the promotion of signature products, or the design of a country’s culinary narrative all contribute to a broader positioning on the global stage.
SIAL Paris is no longer just a place for deals and product launches. It is a strategic crossroads, where economic interests, cultural influence and technological innovation meet.
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