Working with the European Union (EU), the Department of Trade and Industry’s Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (DTI-CITEM) will launch an initiative aiming to push for a more resilient Philippine food industry.

The Sustainability Solutions Exchange (SSX) Exhibition and Conference 2025, CITEM’s flagship initiative promoting sustainable practices and resources, will debut as a physical event on May 22-24 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

It will be located at the Sustainability Hall within the International Food Exhibition (IFEX) Philippines 2025, the country’s premier international food trade show. This move is set to underscore the country’s commitment to sustainability and circularity in the food industry.

The SSX exhibition will connect entrepreneurs with industry leaders and sustainable solutions providers, showcasing innovations in sustainable food production, packaging, and distribution. It will also feature business matching and pitching sessions to prompt collaborations among industry stakeholders.

The conference will run in parallel at the neighboring Pasay City headquarters of the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC). The PTTC Global SME Academy (PTTC-GMEA) is CITEM’s Training and Event Partner for SSX 2025.

Sessions will explore topics aligned with this year’s theme, “Green Innovations: Navigating Sustainability Solutions to Future-Proof the Food Industry.” Discussions will focus on building a circular food system, and tackle challenges and opportunities such as food security, social responsibility, packaging, and sustainable waste management.

The two-day conference will feature local and international experts, including EU Delegation Head of Cooperation Marco Gemmer.

The EU is supporting SSX as part of the EU-Philippine Green Economy Partnership under the Global Gateway — the European strategy for engaging with partners globally to promote investments around shared priorities. The partnership focuses on achieving sustainable and inclusive growth through policy dialogue, championing of local initiatives, investments and the creation of green and decent jobs.

Organized by CITEM, SSX launches with the objective of helping micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) transition to a circular economy. The event aims to boost entrepreneurs’ global competitiveness and promote adherence to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Interested innovators, policy makers, and advocates are encouraged to visit sustainability.ph now to access the program and register as a delegate to SSX 2025.

 


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