Fortifi CEO outlines blueprint for “resilient and empathic” food supply chains
As world leaders and industry titans gather for the 2026 World Economic Forum, Massimo Bizzi, CEO of Fortifi Food Processing Solutions, has issued a call to action for the global food industry: prioritise “empathic leadership” alongside high-tech automation to future-proof the world’s food supply.
In a candid interview with Acumen Media and CBS Brand Studio, Bizzi argued that the twin pressures of geopolitical instability and labour shortages require a radical shift in how food is produced and processed.
The global food system currently faces a paradox: while the world produces enough food to feed 10 billion people, massive systemic losses — particularly during processing — continue to drive food insecurity. Bizzi highlighted how Fortifi’s recent strategic acquisitions, including the recent integration of Provisur Technologies, are designed to combat this.
By deploying agentic AI, robotics, and machine vision, Fortifi is helping processors:
- Maximise yield: reducing food loss and waste at the point of production.
- Optimise resources: drastically cutting energy and water consumption through lean-based operating systems.
- Solve labour shortages: using automation to handle repetitive, physically demanding tasks that are increasingly difficult to staff.
While technology is the engine of Fortifi’s growth, Bizzi stressed that the “soul” of the organisation is its employee-ownership model. In an industry often criticised for tough working conditions, Fortifi is positioning itself as a “human-centric” leader.
“High-performing organisations are defined by empathic leadership,” Bizzi stated during the interview. “We focus equally on the strength of our technologies and the contributions of our people.”
This philosophy extends beyond the factory floor through two key pillars:
- The Fortifi Cares Fund: a direct support system for employee-owners facing personal hardships or natural disasters.
- Enriching Communities Initiative: a programme where employees use their professional skills (like lean methodology) to help local food banks optimise their own operations, as seen in their recent partnership with the Montgomery County Food Bank.
As 2026 begins, the food industry is navigating a “K-shaped” economy and intensifying climate disruption. Bizzi’s message at Davos serves as a reminder that the global food chain is the most vital link between the population and survival. By unifying advanced software with a culture of ownership, Fortifi aims to prove that global competitiveness and social responsibility are not mutually exclusive.
