Martin Sonntag, Chief Executive Officer of natural colours major Oterra.
The next decade in food and nutrition will be defined not merely by growth in volumes, but by the ability of companies to build verifiable trust across supply chains, according to Martin Sonntag, Chief Executive Officer of natural colours major Oterra.
“As the bar rises globally on safety, sustainability and ethical sourcing, only transparent systems and relentless improvement will sustain trust,” he said on the sidelines of the International Spice Conference (ISC 2026) after delivering keynote on “Shaping the Next Decade of Food & Nutrition: Collaboration, Trust and Responsibility.”
Food safety, environmental accountability and ethical sourcing have shifted from aspirational benchmarks to baseline market-entry requirements, he added.
The global food and beverage market, estimated at nearly €6 trillion in annual consumer spending, drives over €100 billion in ingredient purchases each year (excluding meat and dairy). However, the supplier base remains fragmented, opening opportunities for consolidation and integrated models that improve traceability, compliance and consistent quality.
Oterra, which reported revenues of €417 million in 2023–24, operates in over 40 locations worldwide, serves 110-plus countries and supplies more than 2,200 customers. The company follows a backward-integrated model spanning breeding, contract farming, and extraction and processing of natural colours, aimed at reducing supply-chain risk and ensuring compliance from origin to finished product.
Sonntag identified seven megatrends shaping the industry: premiumisation, affordability pressures, health and longevity, expanding consumer choice, responsible growth, tighter regulation across food chains and rapid digitalisation.
Regulatory tightening in the EU and US, coupled with sustainability reporting frameworks and due-diligence mandates, is compelling companies to move from reactive compliance to proactive risk management, he said.
For spice-origin economies such as India, this transition has direct commercial implications. While India’s spice exports have been rising, residue norms, contaminant scrutiny and traceability mandates are tightening across key markets. Exporters face a dual imperative — defend volumes while investing in systems that reduce rejections, mitigate reputational risk and secure long-term contracts.
Climate risk, according to him, is increasingly material to ingredient businesses. Oterra has undertaken greenhouse gas analysis in turmeric farming to create de-carbonisation roadmaps and works with farmers on water efficiency, crop rotation and regenerative practices.
Growth in the coming decade will be defined by those who combine scale with responsibility and build trust into every layer of the value chain, he added.
Published on February 24, 2026