A conference on ‘Agri-food paradigms’ was held at Cajamar, organised by the Foundation, which focused on innovation, sustainability and equity for the future of the sector.

At the opening ceremony, Jesús García, Cajamar’s regional director in Valencia, pointed out that “innovation is essential to keep making progress in efficiency, competitiveness and sustainability, and to continue emphasising the need to produce more with fewer inputs”. In this regard, he explained that “as strategic partners in the agri-food sector, we are aware that today, more than ever, the sector needs allies who can provide stability, a long-term vision and the ability to anticipate the challenges of an increasingly complex environment. That is why, at Cajamar, we do not focus our activities solely on financing; rather, we make our entire Agri-Food Innovation Ecosystem available to you, creating value for the entire supply chain”.

The Foundation’s Executive President, Javier Quesada, emphasised that the Foundation “has always been closely linked to the Valencian countryside, seeking new challenges to help the Comunidad Valenciana”.  And the Regional Minister for Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Livestock, Miguel Barrachina, highlighted the enormous effort being made by the Valencian countryside in the area of traceability and proudly announced that 548 young people, aged between 18 and 22, as new farmers who will devote themselves to the countryside and agriculture; through modernisation and economies of scale, they will make the agricultural sector profitable.

The event was moderated by the presenter Ángel Marhuenda, General Director for the CAP at the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, and among the speakers was Tomás G. Azcárate, who spoke of the need for change in the sector. The economist, who specialises in the CAP and agri-food markets, stated that “science and agriculture must be strategic allies”. He emphasised that adapting to and mitigating climate change is not an option, whilst also arguing that both research and innovation must play a central role in the future. Azcárate argued that “food must remain a European priority” and called for an agreement both within and outside the EU, something that has not yet been achieved with Brussels.

Vicente Faro spoke about organic farming, its prospects and the sector’s development. He outlined the certified area, the age of organic farmers, their characteristics, etc., and called for ‘management support’ to enable organic farming to continue into the future within a sustainable framework.

Noelia Garrigós, deputy director for the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) and competitiveness at the regional ministry, spoke about sustainability in the public sector, aimed, as she stated, “at providing better services with fewer resources”, and referred to the tools for reducing the administrative burden: “the digitisation of procedures, satellite monitoring, the single application scheme, administrative simplification, etc.” Because, for Garrigós, “the sustainability of the agricultural sector does not depend solely on new production techniques or stricter environmental requirements; it also requires institutions capable of supporting this transformation with comprehensible regulations, streamlined procedures and efficient public services.” For the deputy director of the CAP, “the defining feature of 21st-century agriculture is that innovation must transform not only farms, but also the way in which public administrations design, manage and deliver their services to those responsible for ensuring the agri-food system functions properly.”

Finally, it was the turn of Maria Grafo, Head of the Social Sustainability Unit within the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture, who spoke from Brussels to outline the various types of flagship initiatives and referred to the proposals for 2028–2032, such as the national strategies for generational renewal, a more flexible definition of a young farmer, and the relationship between DABIS and pensions.