AgroInspira Focuses on How Agri-Food Companies Communicate Sustainability to Consumers
Executives from Unilever, Nestlé and PepsiCo Agree on the Need to Build Transparent, Understandable Narratives Connected to the Reality of the Field
Communication and sustainability were the key themes of AgroInspira, the event promoted by Agromillora in collaboration with UPF Barcelona School of Management, which brought together communication and marketing executives, experts and academics in Barcelona to reflect on the new narratives of the agri-food sector.
The session was opened by Fàtima Piqué, Deputy General Director and Director of B2B Business Development at UPF BSM, who highlighted the importance of creating spaces that bring brands closer to people and society. This was followed by Jordi Mateu, CEO of Agromillora, who stressed that the sector needs “to build its own narrative that makes visible the exceptional things that are achieved every day in the field,” also emphasizing the strategic and dynamic nature of the agri-food sector in Spain.
For her part, Patricia Pujadas, Marketing Director of the Agromillora Group, reminded attendees that the agri-food chain is transversal and that “it begins in the field and ends with the consumer, which makes communication that connects both ends essential.”
From Data to Narrative: Sustainability, Trust and Connection
The central focus of the event was the round table discussion “From Data to Narrative: How Major Brands Connect with the Agri-Food Consumer through Sustainability,” moderated by Xavier Ribera, Director of Communication, Institutional Relations and Sustainability at BASF.
During the debate, Ana Palencia, Director of External Communication at Unilever Spain, pointed out that “sustainability will only scale if it is also efficient, profitable and effective,” and warned of the difficulty of conveying, in a limited space, “everything that lies behind a product.”
From PepsiCo, Marta Puyuelo, Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, spoke about the “complex balance between competitiveness and sustainability in the short term,” as investments are very significant but sustainability “does not lead the purchasing decision.” She also highlighted one of the most common mistakes: “Appealing solely to the consumer’s individual awareness and responsibility does not work; sustainability is highly technical and must be connected to tangible benefits that are relevant at the point of purchase.”
Alberto Vega, Director of Corporate Affairs at Nestlé Spain, defended the need to prioritize: “We cannot do everything at the same time; we must choose our battles and find a balance,” and emphasized the importance of simplifying the message to help consumers understand what lies behind purchasing decisions.
The analysis was completed with the perspective of Joan Francesc Cánovas, crisis communication consultant and professor at UPF BSM, who stated that “the more information we have, the more confused we are,” and reminded attendees that transparency “does not mean explaining everything, but ensuring that everything that is said is true.”
Regarding trust, the speakers agreed that greenwashing is countered with transparency, data and clear indicators, but always through messages that are understandable and relevant to citizens.
Three Workshops to Move from Narrative to Action
The event concluded with three practical workshops addressing the major current challenges of agri-food communication:
• Workshop 1 – Agri-Food Brand Narratives, led by Almudena Moreno, Senior Brand Manager at Unilever, who explained that “having a good product is no longer enough: the field is the origin, culture is the destination, and the brand is the bridge.”
• Workshop 2 – From Storytelling to Storydoing, delivered by Álex de Dios, Head of Social at TBWA Spain, focused on the evolution of the digital environment, where “brands no longer just tell stories, but create spaces to connect,” introducing the concept of story feeling.
• Workshop 3 – Artificial Intelligence and Communication, led by Bernardo Gutiérrez Girault, representative at Adobe, who demonstrated how AI processes applied to the company’s products can help improve creativity and efficiency in corporate communication.
The event highlighted that communicating sustainability in the agri-food sector requires simplicity, honesty and coherence, as well as a narrative capable of connecting the effort made in the field with society’s expectations.
