(Front, L-R: ECCP Vice President Dr. Diana Edralin, IFEX Philippines Project Director Rowena Mendoza, DENR-EMB OIC Asst. Director Engr. Esperanza A. Sajul, EU Head of Cooperation Marco Gemmer, Deputy Head of Mission of the Finnish Embassy in the Philippines Veera Kaarela, and Economic Counsellor of the German Embassy in the Philippines Dr. David Klebs pose with delegates during the SSX Conference opening ceremony.)
The European Union (EU) and the Department of Trade and Industry’s Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (DTI-CITEM) gathered leading entrepreneurs, policymakers, and advocates at the Sustainability Solutions Exchange (SSX) Exhibition and Conference, a trade platform for green practices and resources.
Aimed to develop a sustainable Philippine food industry, SSX debuted as a physical event during the recent International Food Exhibition (IFEX) at the World Trade Center Metro Manila in Pasay City. It featured an Exhibition, a Conference, and Pitching sessions.
The SSX Exhibition within IFEX Philippines housed diverse exhibitors in two zones—the “Sustainable Solutions and Incubators” for suppliers and solutions providers, and “The Marketplace” for organic and eco-friendly products.
A Green Pavilion, showcasing sustainable products from local businesses and encouraging the adoption of circular solutions, bridged these zones. It also hosted the EU-supported SSX Pavilion Booth named “A Taste of Greenovation,” a collection of green businesses and eco-startups whose products and solutions are tailored to Filipino homes and lifestyles. The booth featured social enterprises that platform local farmers, food waste solutions, circular business and nature solutions.
The SSX Conference consisted of sessions led by local and international experts, tackling issues within the Philippine food industry such as high levels of food loss along fragmented supply chains, the continued use of single-use plastics, e-smart food systems, ethical consumption, and the growing need for sustainability-certified products.
Panelists explored strategies and solutions, focusing on supporting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to adopt green technologies, promoting stronger policy support for the private sector, and aligning practices with international sustainability standards to remain competitive in the global market.
During the Conference’s opening ceremony, CITEM Executive Director Leah Pulido Ocampo emphasized the “pressing need” to innovate how food is produced, packaged, and consumed in the Philippines. For her part, DTI Secretary Cristina A. Roque highlighted the Philippines’ active pursuit of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 on Responsible Consumption and Production under the Bagong Pilipinas Agenda.
Head of Cooperation of the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines Dr. Marco Gemmer reiterated the EU’s strategic focus on ethical and sustainable practices as a foundation for EU investments, and presented the EU-PH Green Economy Platform, a collaborative space for both countries’ policy makers and businesses.
Lastly, the SSX Pitching sessions connected solutions providers with food manufacturers and producers to facilitate collaboration.
Organized by CITEM, SSX 2025 was co-presented by the EU with the support of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Deutsche Gesellschaft fĂĽr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Expertise France, and the Global Green Growth Institute under the EU-Philippine Green Economy Partnership. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action also co-presented the event.
