To achieve more sustainable and resilient food systems, we are committed to driving a green and digital transition that ensures food and nutritional security. This transition emphasizes empowering consumers to make informed, sustainable food choices—both individually and collectively—which may require shifts in norms, attitudes, and habits. This comprehensive approach seeks to align consumer behaviors, policy innovation, and collaborative actions toward sustainable food systems.

Vitartis and our members focus on:
• Exploring “social tipping points” to accelerate the adoption of sustainable and healthy diets and lifestyles across different consumer groups, identifying key obstacles and strategies to overcome them.
• Advancing the role of AI and digital tools in fostering food democracy, enhancing food and digital literacy, engaging consumers, and mitigating the risks of misinformation influencing individual and collective choices.
• Innovating food labeling and ethical marketing practices to promote sustainable choices.
• Designing and testing policy measures to improve access to healthy and sustainable food for vulnerable populations such as young children, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities.
• Developing policy frameworks that integrate multi-level and local governance advancing sustainable and affordable diets.

VITARTIS, the Food Industry Cluster of Castilla y León, is a nonprofit association founded in 2009. As an Innovative Business Group, it represents the food industry sector, one of the key economic pillars of Castilla y León. Our mission is to enhance the sustainability and competitiveness of the food industry in the region by promoting innovation in all areas and advocating for the sector before public and private organizations.

The association includes food companies, technology partners, and specialized suppliers, creating a unique collaborative framework that merges science and business:
• Food companies: This includes both agri-food SMEs and large agri-food enterprises from various sectors.
• Technology partners: Comprises universities, technology centers, and public research institutes within the Region.
• Specialized suppliers: This group consists of laboratories, consultants, distributors, digital solution developers, and specialists in testing and certification, who provide services to the food industry.

Currently, Vitartis is integrated by 150 members, including 98 SMEs and 37 large companies, of which 114 are agri-food companies.

In the past two years, Vitartis has undertaken several important initiatives, including:
• Participation in 24 research and development (R&D) and innovation projects—16 as lead and 8 as participants—focusing on three main themes: environmental sustainability, digital transition to Industry 4.0, and talent attraction.
• Organizing 90 workshops and training activities to ensure ongoing education, with over 2,500 participants.
• Contributing to integrating the Sustainable Development Goals and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) criteria into business strategies.
• Forming strategic alliances with public administrations, economic and social clusters, and various organizations to represent the interests of the food industry in Castilla y León.