Agri-food in the spotlight at the Oportunity’s Season-Opening Evening

A look back in pictures and in quotes at the traditional Oportunity season-opening evening which, on 7th October, brought together more than 170 people from among Nantes ‒ Saint Nazaire’s main port players, at Domaine de la Gressière in La Bernerie-en-Retz

This year, the focus was on the agri-food ecosystem, with a committed Port Community and a collective determination to rise to the challenge of transition in agriculture and in the agri-food industry. During a round table discussion moderated by Clément Lesort, the speakers discussed the blue economy in the service of the green economy.

Some Extracts…

Christophe Couroussé ‒ Terrena: "Adaptability in the agri-food industry and in agriculture is necessary: there is a need to adapt to climate change and to decarbonize production. Our home port facility of Montoir will be a key player in assisting these changes."

Frédéric Sauvé ‒ Bunge: "In order to remain competitive, you need a stable economic and logistical environment. As an importer and distributor, we need to manage our costs and to be flexible, and that means efficient port transit, traceability and storage capacity."

Tristan Lucazeau ‒ Cargill: "Our industrial facilities make us the Port’s leading agri-food sector and rail transport player. The Port’s proximity and ecosystem give us multimodal logistics options and enable us to reach our customers worldwide."

Pascal Trescos ‒ SEA-Invest Montoir – Montoir Bulk Terminal (MBT): "As industrial logistics specialists, we have a role as facilitators, to provide appropriate responses in compliance with procedures, to guarantee the traceability of products throughout the supply chain, and to contribute to the decarbonization of the sector."

Jean-Francois Lépy ‒ Soufflet (InVivo Group): "We have the ability to load large vessels at full capacity out of Montoir, which offers genuine logistical competitiveness."

Pauline Van den Bulcke ‒ U Logistics Division: "The U export business is concentrated in 3 main ports, one of those being Montoir, which offers us responsiveness and flexibility, and lowers our carbon footprint because of its proximity. We want to continue to develop those maritime activities in partnership with regional players."

The participants were invited to put into practice this teamwork ethic ‒ the very DNA of Oportunity ‒ by placing a piece in a puzzle to recreate a mural designed by Marina Le Ray and symbolizing the diversity and dynamism of the Nantes ‒ Saint Nazaire Port Community.