IE Agribusiness Club: Redesigning Agri-Food Systems

IE Business School’s Agribusiness Club recently welcomed Rob Dongoski, the founder of the EY Global Agribusiness center, for their event Redesigning Agri-Food Systems.

The club-- which boasts nearly 200 members-- is supported by Campus Life and serves as a platform for young professionals who are passionate about the agriculture industry, so they can follow the latest trends in the commercial enterprise.

“As EY’s Agribusiness leader, Rob is at the forefront of industry issues and works directly with the client to optimize their approach in the global markets.”
Daniel Baltieri Favoretto, one of the club officers who coordinated the event

“He has shown us amazing insights on how consumer behaviors are changing in terms of what they eat or where they purchase their food. This shift is clearly disrupting the food supply chain and is making companies foster innovation and digital transformations in order to adapt to these new trends,” Baltieri said.

Alejandro Stewart, an International MBA student, the club president, led the conversation with the special guest for about 40 attendees, focusing on how factors such as population, climate change, consumer habits and economic trends constantly affect agricultural systems that are in place worldwide.

“New technologies that offer more personalization are challenging the traditional food supply system in its linear nature,” said Dongoski.

“Consumers are now reaching back into the value chain and telling producers what they want.”
Rob Dongoski, founder of the EY Global Agribusiness center

He said operations are becoming more verticalized within the production processes of agriculture products and that new approaches relying on evidence and experience-based strategies are being used to analyze new companies offering cutting-edge ideas which now shape current systems.

Participants attending the event asked questions about the food waste problem, the major shift from shareholder capitalism to stakeholder capitalism, and the increasing growth of smaller brands.

“Companies in the future will be valued on an entirely different index other than sheer price,” Dongoski told students.