Madrid- EXPO SAGRIS, organised by IFEMA MADRID in collaboration with ALAS (Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture) as promoter association, held the sectoral conference ‘El futuro del campo: claves de un sector en evolución’ (The future of the countryside: keys to an evolving sector) with Pedro Barato, president of ASAJA and of the EXPO SAGRIS Organising Committee; Juan Ignacio Senovilla, President of ALAS; José María Pozancos, director of FEPEX, and Lola González, director of Business Development and Innovation at IFEMA MADRID.
Following the announcement of the launch, the new Agriculture and Livestock Show, to be held from 6 to 8 November 2025 at the Madrid Exhibition Centre, is bringing together all the companies and associations of the agri-food sector, and is presented as a necessary and unique Country Brand project organised by and for the industry itself and society; a sector that in 2024 broke historical export records with a value of 75,090 million euros, 5.8% more than in the previous year and a positive balance of 19,232 million euros.
During the conference the differential aspects of EXPO SAGRIS were revealed, such as the ‘Digitalisation and AI Hub’, where new digital and Artificial Intelligence innovations in livestock and farming will be explored; live demonstrations and presentations of Startups and AgroTech companies; the ‘Sustainability Forum’, focused on agricultural models, family farming, cooperativism, the strategic autonomy of the AgriFood sector and agricultural policies; ‘BioTech’, where innovations in plant variety and biotechnology will be disseminated as one of the levers of sustainability; ‘‘EXPO SAGRIS Global Village y Aula Didáctica’ (EXPO SAGRIS Global Village and Teaching Room), an international space for exhibiting global innovations, collaborations between countries and a teaching room for education centres; ‘Ágora Mujeres y Desarrollo Rural’ (Women and Rural Development), a forum devoted to boosting feminine leadership in the rural environment; and the ‘Talent Arena’, where synergies will be explored between the public-private sector and universities for mentoring young people and their entry into the agricultural sector and retaining this talent.
The future of the countryside, the experts’ keys to an evolving sector
Pedro Barato, President of ASAJA and of the EXPO SAGRIS Organising Committee, emphasised that “EXPO SAGRIS is going to be a modern trade fair, where we are going to show what the countryside does on a daily basis. Not only by putting healthy, quality food on shelves and tables, but also by contributing to sustainability through innovation and talent. The Agriculture and Livestock Show is the place where the entire agri-food sector has a place to show that we are an economic engine.”
Juan Ignacio Senovilla, president of ALAS, emphasised that “the agricultural and livestock sector is a very powerful sector of which Spain is at the forefront. We want EXPO SAGRIS to become a reputable trade fair that involves the countryside, technology, the environment, education and society. EXPO SAGRIS is the event we owe to the entire agri-food value chain, from producers to citizens.”
In the same vein, José María Pozancos, director of FEPEX, stated that “with EXPO SAGRIS we aim to reposition the agricultural sector in the national sphere, giving it the relevance it requires in the economic and social realms. We must invest in this project with enthusiasm and ambition, bringing together all professionals, from the most basic of inputs to the consumers themselves.”
“At IFEMA MADRID we are committed to promoting the agri-food sector and hosting this show in conjunction with ALAS reflects our vocation to serve it. We want to play an active role in strengthening the leadership of producers, distributors and professionals, creating a space for exchange, innovation, collaboration and boosting business”, said Lola González, director of Business Development and Innovation at IFEMA MADRID.
The first edition of the Agriculture and Livestock Show is being held from 6 to 8 November at IFEMA MADRID under the slogan ‘Land, Technology, People’. EXPO SAGRIS is born with the impulse and support of the whole sector, with ALAS (Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture) as its main collaborator, bringing together the main agricultural organisations: ASAJA, AEAC.SV, COAG, FEPEX, UPA and Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de España, as well as AEPLA, ANOVE and Foro Interalimentario, which form the Organising Committee of the Show together with Agroforestales, AMETIC Smart Agro, Fenacore and FIAB.
