HonestFood Roundtable Discussion – More Courage Is Needed in the Food Industry
THE CHALLENGE
Giacomo Pedranzini, CEO of KOMETA, aims to ensure that affordable, high-quality food products make their way onto supermarket shelves. He believes that neither modern large-scale industrial agriculture nor organic farming is sustainable on its own; a balance must be found. He points out that the stakeholders within the production chain do not receive a fair share of the revenue. In his view, there is far too little public discourse on these issues, and both producers and consumers need better education.
THE SOLUTION
Giacomo Pedranzini created the HonestFood concept (which has since evolved into an association). It places a strong emphasis on human health, the protection of nature and the environment—including animal welfare—and ensures fairness for every participant in the production chain. To spark professional dialogue, we organized a roundtable discussion open to the press and invited industry experts.
Alongside Giacomo Pedranzini, CEO of KOMETA, the event featured Tibor Zászlós, National Vice President for Agriculture at the National Chamber of Agriculture; Prof. Dr. László Friedrich, Director and Professor at the Institute of Food Science and Technology of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Ferenc Horváth, Food Industry Director at SPAR Hungary Ltd.; and András Moldován, investor and owner of Mangal Ilona Sertéshízlalda Ltd. and Animalsoft Ltd., an animal breeding software company. The roundtable discussion was moderated by agricultural journalist András Mihálovits.
RESULTS
Nearly 30 media appearances were generated across economic, agricultural, and news outlets. A genuine dialogue began, after which Giacomo Pedranzini received several inquiries from potential partners. The event was the first step toward the eventual establishment of the HonestFood Association in 2024.
