How to ensure food democracy in EU food policy ?

Towards greater sustainability for our food systems

During the Open Food Conference held in Leuven from the 11th to the 13th of March 2024 the European Economic and Social Commitee (EESC) organized a parallel session on Food Democracy, in the context of Belgium’s presidency of the Council of the EU.

This conference aimed to bring the food system community together to discuss the current state of play after four years of the Farm to Fork Strategy and the introduction of the Flemish Food Strategy "Go4Food". The various speakers were asked to discuss the importance of food democracy in achieving sustainable food systems and highlighted ways to further strengthen the governance of the food policy process and ensure a comprehensive approach in food policy.

Together they reviewed a number of Flemish and European initiatives to assess their effectiveness and provide food for thought for future legislatures. As the aim was to consider systemic responses and policies, the guest speakers came from very different backgrounds, creating synergies between politics, science, industry and practice.

Local food strategies for food system transformation

The ‘Local food strategies for food system transformation’ conference provided an opportunity to discuss the role and opportunities of local authorities in transforming the food system. Speakers presented local food strategies for the cities of Ghent and Leuven in Flanders and the challenge of coordinating with other levels of government.

Among the main ideas put forward were the creation of local platforms to connect citizens and farmers ; local market initiatives ; the promotion of a circular economy ; the use of public agricultural land ; and the need to guarantee fair prices and full information for consumers.

The city of Milan also presented a comparative analysis of existing urban food policies throughout the EU, in connection with the Cleverfood project.

Finally, there was the question of the role of EU policies in supporting these local initiatives, which are often hailed for their effectiveness and innovative nature, particularly in Flanders.

At European level, we are expected to reconcile the players in the food system, open up a real dialogue and genuinely strengthen the ‘farm to table’ strategy. Many hopes are pinned on a future CAP focused on the sustainability of the system.

Food democracy Conference

Almudena Garcia, representing FIAN and the EU Food Policy Coalition, insisted on the need to have the Right to Food at the center of the transformation of the food system and highlighted that food democracy is the vehicle to put people at the center. This dialogue revealed the importance of food democracy in moving towards greater sustainability.

Almudena Garcia Sastre also stressed the need for the EU to adopt an ambitious legislative framework for a sustainable food system based on a legal approach to human rights. Indeed, food democracy is the vector for a transformation centred on people and the right to food. This legal approach must ensure the dignity and indivisibility of all human beings and the adoption of a coherent systemic policy.

The European Union must create a framework that guarantees an end to social inequalities, human health and environmental protection. Furthermore, food democracy must enable civil society and citizens to be better integrated into the decision-making process, so that they are not reduced to the role of consumers.

Food democracy must therefore be integrated into a multi-level and multi-sectoral approach to ensure real coherence. The future system must therefore be based on participation, responsibility, non-discrimination, transparency, human dignity and the rule of law.

It is essential to reconcile the environmental, health, social, agricultural and economic domains in order to move towards a transformation of the food system.


PUBLICATION | The Right to Food for a Just Transition Towards Sustainable Food Systems

Downloads

The Right to Food for a Just Transition Towards Sustainable Food Systems : How the right to food can underpin and guide the European Commission’s work on a legislative Framework for Sustainable Food Systems (FSFS), FIAN (2023)
Speakers’ presentations (1.1 Mo - pdf format)
Open Food Conference Summary Report, Flemish Government (2024), Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU 2024, Agency for Agriculture and Fisheries, Department of Economy, Science and Innovation & Flanders Chancellery and Foreign Office, Brussels