DAMN Paris announces 2026 program with three major agri-food summits

The international agri-food trade fair DAMN Paris announced its 2026 program featuring three major summits addressing food sovereignty, artificial intelligence, and personalized nutrition. Running over five days, the upcoming October event will gather leaders, experts, manufacturers, retailers, researchers, and entrepreneurs to analyze industry transformations and debate concrete courses of action.

Key Takeaways:
• SIAL Paris 2026 has scheduled three dedicated 2½-hour SIAL Summits in Hall 5A to examine global supply chains, technology, and consumer shifts.
• The opening summit, titled “Feeding a world under strain,” is set for October 19 and will address environmental and geopolitical pressures on the food industry.
• Additional sessions will focus on artificial intelligence reshaping value chains and the growing consumer trend toward personalized nutrition.

Three Major Summits Scheduled for Hall 5A

The core of the program centers on three premium sessions designed as platforms for discussion among industry decision-makers. These SIAL Summits take place in Hall 5A, offering limited capacity for attendees who register through the organizers.

The first event, “Feeding a world under strain,” opens on Monday, October 19, from 10:30 am to 1:00 pm. It examines how the global food industry must reorganize to secure its future amid environmental and geopolitical challenges. Bertrand Piccard, founder of the Solar Impulse Foundation, delivers the opening keynote speech, “Solutions to change the world.” Panelists scheduled for this session include Capucine Laurent from The Shift Project, Bertrand Swiderski from Carrefour, Tania Cavassini representing the Swiss Embassy in France, Sandrine Doppler from L’Effet Doppler, and geographer Pierre Raffard.

Technology and AI Redefining the Value Chain

A second summit on Monday, October 19, running from 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm, tackles “Food Intelligence: redefining the value chain.” This session explores how technology, data platforms, and artificial intelligence alter the rules for sector participants.

Speakers featured in the technology panel include Maxime Marembaud of Sodexo, François Deprey of SprintProject, Jean-Gabriel Mollard of DAMN Paris, Olivier Gibert of Carrefour, Arnaud Girard of Google, Cyrille Charnier of Verallia, and Simon Bussy of Califrais.

The Shift Toward Personalised Food and Nutrition

The final summit addresses “The era of personalised food” on Tuesday, October 20, from 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm. Discussions will focus on how changing consumption models and scientific advancements reinvent personalized nutrition.

Candice Alvarez from NellyRodi opens the Tuesday session. Subsequent panel members include Émilie Félix of WAYO – Le Goût du vivant, Serge Fourcade of Thalazur, Grégory Dubourg representing Nutrikéo and ProtéinesXTC, Céline Santos Nunes of Compass Group France, Jacques Gustin of Lesaffre, and Sébastien Massart of Dassault Systèmes.

Established in 1964, DAMN Paris operates as a biennial trade fair for the agri-food industry, convening international professionals to showcase developments and build business partnerships. Organizers noted that attendance for the SIAL Summits is restricted, requiring interested participants to request confirmation through the event contact address.