Faced with climate, economic, and geopolitical challenges, Wallonia is mobilizing to build a more resilient and sustainable food system. At the request of the Walloon regional government, Wagralim, the Walloon agri-food innovation cluster, has conducted an ambitious foresight exercise to anticipate the transformation of the agri-food sector by 2035. This initiative aims to identify strategic pathways to strengthen Wallonia’s food sovereignty while fostering value creation and job growth.
1. A Key Sector for the Walloon Economy
With a turnover of €10.5 billion, including €6 billion in exports, and nearly 25,300 direct jobs, the agri-food industry is the leading industrial sector in Wallonia. However, the COVID-19 crisis and geopolitical tensions have highlighted vulnerabilities in this ecosystem, particularly its reliance on external supply chains and market fluctuations. Anticipating sectoral changes and reinforcing business resilience is now essential to maintaining competitiveness.
2. Five Strategic Pillars for the Future
This foresight study has identified five key lessons to ensure sustainable and innovative development for the Walloon food sector:
Turning Climate Change into an Opportunity
By strengthening the resilience of its food system, Wallonia can mitigate risks while seizing new opportunities to secure supply chains and enhance the value of its bioresources.
Anticipating and Preparing
A strategic vision is necessary to anticipate tensions on raw materials, ensure business continuity, and reduce dependency on imports.
Strengthening Sectoral Resilience
Given geopolitical and economic uncertainties, companies must adopt strategies to secure supply chains and adapt production systems.
Seizing New Opportunities and Rethinking Value Chains
Wallonia’s agri-food industry must differentiate itself by investing in innovative and sustainable value chains adapted to market changes and consumer expectations.
Creating Success Conditions to Maximize Impact
Enhancing cooperation among food ecosystem stakeholders, fostering entrepreneurship, and structuring a dynamic network to drive innovation are crucial.
3. Biotechnology at the Heart of Innovation
One of the key levers identified for accelerating this transformation is the rise of biotechnology in food production. These technologies provide innovative solutions for functional ingredients, fermented foods, and alternative proteins (from fungi, algae, and bacteria).
Wallonia holds considerable assets in this field: a well-established expertise in fermentation, a strong academic research base, and pioneering companies capable of valorizing agri-food by-products within a circular bioeconomy framework.
By capitalizing on these strengths, Wallonia can develop new strategic value chains, gradually reducing reliance on petrochemical resources. The goal is to integrate these innovations into a sustainable model, aligned with clean tech principles and low-impact food production.
3.1. Three Concrete Actions to Accelerate Innovation
To implement this vision, Wagralim proposes three strategic actions:
- Developing Biotechnology Research Programs
→ Strengthening Walloon research initiatives, expanding the Wallonia Institute for Food Science & Technology (WIFST), and supporting specialized start-ups.
- Creating Synergies Between Biotechnology and Clean Technologies
→ Strengthening collaboration between Wagralim, Greenwin, Valbiom, and CRA-W to accelerate the development of innovative and sustainable solutions.
- Positioning Wallonia in European Collaborations
→ Enhancing critical mass by joining international networks, leveraging competency centers, and establishing targeted strategic partnerships.
Conclusion of the Study
The future of the Walloon food system relies on a profound transformation that integrates innovation, sustainability, and resilience. Thanks to its expertise in biotechnology and strengthened collaboration between industrial and academic actors, Wallonia is positioning itself as a leader in the transition toward more sustainable food production. By structuring new value chains and investing in research, the region will not only enhance its food autonomy but also generate significant economic and environmental opportunities at the European level.
Supporting biotechnology development aligns with the objectives of the Biotech4Food project. This initiative is crucial for Wagralim and the Walloon agri-food sector to continue innovating in food biotechnology while contributing to European initiatives.
A Crucial Year for European Biotechnology
2025 marks a pivotal year for the European Commission, which is set to publish the BiotechAct in the coming months. It is essential for the Walloon and European agri-food sector that food biotechnology—not just pharmaceutical biotechnology—is included in this strategic document, which will shape the future of food innovation in biotechnology.
“The many transitions transitions are calling for a paradigm shift paradigm shift and to review our organisations in the light of a finite uncertain world. We need to reinventing ourselves in a new framework.
To achieve this, we need to resolutely focused on innovation, but in the etymological sense of the term, since the Latin word ‘innovare’ means ‘to return to, to renew’. innovation, but in the etymological sense of the word, since the Latin word ‘innovare’ means ‘to return to, to renew’.’
Wagralim
For more information, you can contact Betty Milano, the coordinator of the project – betty.milano@wagralim.be
