BFFood Brings the Galician Model for Accelerating Food Startups to the FAO

• Roberto Alonso, Director of Clusaga, presented Business Factory Food at the World Food Forum in Rome, during a session on the role of food processing in regional development.

Business Factory Food (BFFood)—Galicia’s food-sector accelerator, promoted by the Xunta de Galicia (Regional Government of Galicia) and managed by the Galician Food Cluster (Clusaga)—participated in the World Food Forum (WFF) 2026. This major annual FAO event, focused on the transformation of agrifood systems, was held at the organization’s headquarters in Rome.

Roberto Alonso, Director of Clusaga, spoke during the session “Rethinking Food Processing for Socioeconomic Gains,” organized by the European platform Smart Sensors 4 Agri-food (SS4AF), AgriFood Capital, and BFFood/Clusaga. The discussion centered on how innovation in food processing can create jobs—particularly for young people—strengthen regional resilience, and contribute to food security.

• From the Land and Sea to the Next Generation

Under the theme “From land and sea to the next generation,” Alonso presented the Galician model: a food sector deeply rooted in the land, the sea, and tradition, which currently faces challenges such as the climate crisis, generational turnover, and labor shortages. In response, he explained how BFFood supports projects through their incubation, acceleration, and consolidation phases. Each startup benefits from mentorship provided by leading industry players, specialized training, and access to public funding. Since 2021, the accelerator has supported 79 projects.

In the subsequent round table, the director of Clusaga pointed out that the main challenge for food startups is not their inception, but rather scaling up. He highlighted the role of clusters as a bridge connecting entrepreneurs, the industry, and public authorities, noting: “National strategies require a regional layer to effectively reach SMEs.”

• An established presence at the FAO forum

This participation builds upon Clusaga’s involvement in the World Food Forum—which began in 2024 alongside the SS4AF platform—and reinforces the international profile of BFFood as a model of public-private collaboration designed to drive food innovation and retain local talent.