EU Food Policy Coalition

EU lawmakers are drafting a report on how to strengthen 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗨, ahead of the European Commission’s 𝗘𝗨 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻, due on 16 December 🫀 In a first discussion this week, the European Parliament’s SANT Committee began outlining priorities. So far, however, the debate seems to overlook one of the biggest drivers of heart disease: unhealthy diets — and more specifically, the role of #FoodEnvironments and commercial determinants in shaping poor diets Education matters, of course. But it’s not enough 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗱, 𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗱. Last month, 20 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 — from civil society, health associations and the medical community — sent a joint letter to Commissioner Várhelyi, calling for 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘀 to be placed at the core of the EU plan. A valuable source of inspiration for MEPs as they shape their report? 💭 The letter 👉 https://lnkd.in/eKpFcCdv @ MEPs Romana JERKOVIĆ Jessica Polfjärd Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová Martin Häusling Sebastian Everding European Heart Network (EHN) Fern NGO European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) BirdLife Europe and Central Asia ECOS European Environmental Bureau Foodrise EU Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe Jesuit European Social Centre (JESC) The European Institute for Animal Law & Policy Madre Brava Academia Española de Nutrición y Dietética Association of European Cancer Leagues EuroHealthNet PAN International - Physicians Association for Nutrition Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME) EUPHA - European Public Health Association

Joining many of the EU Food Policy Coalition's participating organisations, 𝘄𝗲'𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗻𝘀’ 𝗜𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 #𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗔𝗹𝗹! 🌱 🤓 Did you know that the Right to Food is a human right, recognised in both the 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘭 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘙𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 and the 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘌𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤, 𝘚𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘙𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 – ratified by every EU member state? But despite existing on paper, it’s not a reality yet… 🙄 So, what’s this EU-wide petition all about? 👉 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 about the urgent need to transform Europe’s #FoodSystems — which today are neither just nor sustainable. 👉 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 at the European level that enable a transition to agroecological food systems where everyone has access to safe, sustainable (such as organic), and nutritious food. 👉 𝗠𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗻𝘀 to demand #FoodJustice across Europe. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 7 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 2026, the organisers and supporters of this European Citizens’ Initiative will have one year to collect 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 from citizens in at least seven EU member states. Let’s rise to the challenge — and make the Right to Food a reality for all. 💪🍎 https://lnkd.in/gdxCavTk

🌾 Grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the future of EU agriculture and food! Thank you to the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament for inviting the EU Food Policy Coalition (EU FPC) to take part in this timely discussion on the post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the path ahead for a sustainable EU #FoodSystem. On the second panel, Celia Nyssens, member of the EU FPC Executive Board, will join IFOAM Organics Europe, European Coordination Via Campesina, and the European Federation of Food, Agriculture, and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT) — all also participating organisations of the EU FPC — to share reflections from our participants on the next CAP. Together, we’re working toward an EU food system that truly delivers for people, planet, and farmers alike. 🌍🤝

“𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘀.” That’s the stark warning from a group of senior UK food industry professionals in a new 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬 report. Their analysis shows how current meat and dairy strategies quietly undermine commitments on: 🌍 Climate and nature 🐄 Animal welfare ❤️ Public health 🚜 Fair livelihoods for farmers Without urgent change, the UK is heading toward: ▶️ More low-welfare, processed meat ▶️ Poorer health outcomes ▶️ Abandoning British small-scale and higher-welfare farms in favour of intensive industrial production, including sourcing meat overseas at lower standards ▶️ Higher disease and antibiotic resistance risks ▶️ Missing net zero and biodiversity targets The report also warns how discussions about meat and dairy are being 𝗰𝘆𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗱 — not as a route to better health or sustainability, but as an attack on farmers and consumer choice. This tactic protects industrial production models — not the farmers or consumers they claim to represent. The food industry professionals call for an honest conversation about "the type, quality and quantity of meat and dairy we consume as a society", and the impact this is having on food access, health, animal welfare and the environment. 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗨 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗼? 📘 Read the full report on Inside Track → https://lnkd.in/eKiWqQiy

✨ It’s a wrap! - 558 voices across 28 countries (!) called for #FoodJustice during the European Days of Action 2025! Today marks the final day of our campaign - a month full of Actions by citizens, farmers, activists, policy experts, demanding a fairer and more sustainable food system for all. This year, more countries than ever before participated in the European Days of Action, proving the uniting force of our movement and the surging energy for food system change across Europe. Here’s what we achieved together: 📍 89 events ✍️ 311 petition signatures 📸 158 pictures of people across Europe demanding #FoodJustice The message of all these actions is loud and clear: Europe wants food justice - NOW! That means: 🌀 Access to healthy, affordable & sustainable food for all, grown in ways that protect farmers, workers, and the planet 🌀Shifting power away from corporations and toward people 🌀Recognizing food as a human right, not a privilege Thank you to everyone who made this campaign happen! As EU decision makers are rolling back years of environmental and social progress with deregulation, it’s more important than ever that Europe’s citizens speak with a strong, united voice. #FoodJustice #EuropeanDaysofAction #GoodFoodGoodFarming

A couple of weeks ago, checking the draft programme of the #AgriFoodDays (hosted by the European Commission, 15–17 December), we asked: Why focus the demand-related session on “𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴’ 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨” rather than on the #FoodEnvironment — i.e., the policies and powerful actors shaping 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗱, 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱? Well… plot twist. The session… vanished! 😅 (see 📷 below) So much for a #FoodSystems approach… 🙄 For EU Agriculture and Food policymakers looking for a friendly nudge: we highly recommend this 🤓 👉 FAO’s report on 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗮 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 https://bit.ly/473ftIs

🌱 Not a restaurant menu — but a hospital one! At Bispebjerg & Frederiksberg Hospital in Copenhagen, patients are served fresh, plant-rich, organic meals 🍲 prepared from scratch every day — right in the hospital’s own kitchen. 💚 This is what #PublicProcurement can look like when it truly works for people and planet. At the #PlantFoodSummit hosted by the Danish Presidency (20–21 October), this initiative was one of many examples of how we can support healthy and sustainable diets by transforming #FoodEnvironments — with beans, pulses, lentils, nuts, fruit and vegetables taking centre stage 🫘 🥕 🥗 ✨ The story of Torsten Wetche, a Danish organic dairy farmer, was also very inspiring. Instead of specialising and intensifying, he limited herd size, raising his cows exclusively on grass, and diversified to grow plants for food, not feed. The result? He now produces more food overall, in harmony with nature 🌍. Let’s hope stories like these can help inspire EU policymakers to support a #FoodSystem that nourishes people today and in the future.

🚨 Pollinators in trouble? The IUCN report last weekend might have left you 😢… but this one will lift you up! A new report from Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe & Friends of the Earth Europe shows: Reducing — even eliminating — pesticides is possible. And farmers across Europe are already proving it! 🌾🐝 The EU now has a choice: 💪 Support these trailblazers ✅ ❌ Or dismantle rules that protect people & the planet Real stories of hope, innovation, and change 🌍💚 Perfect for #WorldFoodDay!

What a great way to celebrate #WorldFoodDay! 🌍🥗 Today, EU Science, Research and Innovation is releasing a new report to help local authorities harness the power of the public plate for #FoodSystem transformation. 🍽️ 👉 Read more here https://lnkd.in/ejCmkPeE Drawing on best practices across Europe, the European Commission’s in-house research body offers a recipe for public canteens that nourish both people and the planet. Here are some of the key ingredients: 🥦 Boost nutrition — more fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds; less salt, free sugars, saturated fats, alcohol, and red or processed meat. 🍞 Cut #FoodWaste. 🤝 Support fair labour by buying food grown and harvested under decent working conditions. 🌾 Choose sustainable farming — organic and agroecological systems. 🐟 Source fish responsibly from well-managed stocks. 🐄 Prioritise high-welfare animal products. This publication couldn’t come at a better time, with the upcoming revision of EU #PublicProcurement rules paving the way for greener, healthier and just food on public plates 💪 It echoes the proposals by our participants in their Manifesto for establishing minimum standards for Public Canteens: https://lnkd.in/eSyyByFq