Although access to adequate, safe, sustainable and nutritious food is a fundamental human right - yet it remains far out of reach for millions of people worldwide. At a critical moment for EU and international policymaking, this high-level civil society-led forum will examine how the European Union is fulfilling it’s commitments to the right to food, and where gaps in coherence, accountability and implementation persist.
The event will explore how a rights-based approach can drive transformative change in EU food policies - from access to and affordability of food, public procurement, the Common Agricultural Policy, and citizen mobilisation through initiatives such as the European Citizens’ Initiative on the Right to Food. Discussions will assess how EU internal and external policies shape food systems globally through trade, development cooperation, climate and agricultural policies, and why stronger oversight mechanisms and meaningful civic participation are essential to translate commitments into real impact.
The event will also address urgent challenges in fragile and conflict-affected contexts, where violations of international humanitarian law, rising malnutrition, and shrinking resources call for stronger leadership across the EU commission, member states and parliament.
Other sessions will examine the growing financialisation of food systems, land, agrarian reform and farmers’ rights. The forum aims to foster cross-sector collaboration, and contribute to a strong, shared political message in defence of the right to food in Europe and beyond.
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Speakers’ names to be shared soon.
In a context of escalating geopolitical instability and shrinking public funding, this plenary will reaffirm a clear message: the right to food is not optional and must continue to guide decision‑making, even under pressure.
It will take stock of the European Union’s existing commitments across treaties, policies and legislation, spotlighting key gaps and the urgent need for stronger policy coherence. The discussion will examine how EU policies translate into responsibilities beyond its borders, highlighting the implications for the realisation of the right to food globally, particularly in terms of coherence, credibility and accountability. The session will also emphasise the role of citizen engagement in driving change and will conclude by exploring how to strengthen oversight mechanisms so that civil society can effectively fulfil its watchdog role.
Speakers to be defined.
At a time of deepening and interconnected global crises, international cooperation can play a decisive role in driving the transformation of food systems worldwide. This session will make the case for placing food security, nutrition and sustainable food systems at the heart of EU external action, examining how stronger coherence across development, trade, climate and agricultural policies can support smallholder livelihoods and reinforce local food systems across regions.
The discussion will highlight concrete policy pathways and strategic adjustments needed to advance a more just and resilient global food system. Grounded in the right to food, it will underline how transformative change depends on inclusive and cooperative decision‑making across sectors and geographies, recognition of global interdependencies, and the meaningful participation of those most affected by food insecurity.
Speakers to be defined.
Participants will register for and attend one workshop.
This workshop will offer an interactive space to explore how a rights‑based approach can drive meaningful change in EU food policies. Through a world‑café format, participants will discuss concrete policy options and mobilisation opportunities - from access to food and public procurement to the common agricultural policy (CAP) and the European Citizens’ Initiative on the right to food - and identify key opportunities and challenges for advancing the right to food across the Union.
Speakers to be defined.
As conflicts deepen and respect for International Humanitarian Law erodes, malnutrition is rising while resources to address hunger are diminishing. In fragile contexts marked by conflict and rights violations, the right to food is increasingly at risk, fuelling instability and undermining prospects for peace and social justice. By engaging participants in an open exchange, this workshop will examine why stronger EU action is urgently needed and what it means to protect the right to food in such settings. It will explore policy frameworks, the consequences of cuts to aid, and the crucial role of local organisations, particularly women‑led groups, who are often the first responders. By linking these discussions to the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework and its approach to fragile settings, the session will put forward concrete recommendations to strengthen EU leadership.
Speakers to be defined.
Financial markets increasingly shape how food is produced, traded and consumed, transforming it into a global commodity and financial asset detached from local ecosystems, communities and the right to food itself. As land and agriculture are treated as investment opportunities, smallholders, food sovereignty and equitable access to nutrition are placed at risk. At the same time, the reshaping of development cooperation, accelerated by ODA cuts and the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, enables commercial, growth‑oriented models heavily reliant on private investment and global value chains.
This workshop will examine what these shifts mean for nutrition and food security, and explore financing approaches grounded in a right‑to‑food framework that align financial flows with social justice, sustainability and human rights.
Speakers to be defined.
This session will examine the implications of the EU’s ongoing debates on seeds legislation, notably the proposals on Plant Reproductive Material (PRM) and New Genomic Techniques (NGTs), at a critical political juncture. It will explore how these frameworks risk undermining agrobiodiversity, farmer‑managed seed systems and breeder autonomy, while accelerating the concentration of power among multinational seed and agrochemical corporations.
The discussion will also address the global repercussions of EU seed policies, particularly in the Global South, where diverse, farmer‑led seed systems remain central to food security and climate resilience but are increasingly threatened by restrictive intellectual property regimes such as imposition of UPOV 91 by EU in its bilateral trade negotiations with countries in the global south (e,g, Zimbabwe and Philippines). The session will create space to connect EU and global struggles, strategise advocacy, and explore international cooperation to defend seed diversity and farmers’ rights.
Speakers to be defined.
Agrarian reform and land issues are central to realizing the right to food through agroecology. Following the ICARRD+20 (International conference on agrarian reform and rural development) that took place in Colombia in February 2026, pushed by many social movements around the world, this forum an opportunity to promote the idea of agrarian reform in the EU. The session will touch on key levers in the European context to regulate land transfers (the European land observatory and the EU directive on land notably).
It has become imperative for Member States to halt the expansion of large-scale farms and reverse this trend, as their practices are detrimental to employment, the environment and public health. These farms pave the way for non-farmers to take control of an increasing proportion of European agricultural land, of which one million hectares are, moreover, lost each year to urbanisation. This development is detrimental to the growth of small-scale agroecology focused on the well-being of society, which is essential for addressing environmental crises (climate, biodiversity, pollution), health crises (cancer, cardiovascular disease, etc.) and economic crises (the decline in added value and the number of jobs per hectare that characterises corporate agriculture).
While seeking to offer a comparative perspective drawing on the contexts of Eastern Europe and Western Europe, the session will also underline how agrarian reform in the EU is about international solidarity, given Europe’s dependency on imports and the landgrabs this dependency is driving around the globe. This panel will center the perspectives and demands of peasant farmers’ organisations and land rights experts.
Speakers to be defined.
Speakers’ names to be shared soon.
After the Forum, you are warmly invited to join the Taste & Talk: Agroecology in Action. This interactive tasting brings participants into direct dialogue with farmers, food artisans, and cooks, offering a firsthand experience of how agroecology translates lived practice into tangible policy insights (and great food!).
Please note that this event takes place at Talk CEC, not at the Forum venue, so plan time for transportation. Registration is available via slowfood.com and is open until 5 June.
You can act today by signing the European Citizens’ Initiative “Food is a Human Right for All!”. This initiative calls on the EU to make the right to food a reality by integrating it into EU laws and policies - both within Europe and beyond.
Sign nowYou can still make a difference. Share the initiative with your friends, colleagues, and networks who are eligible to sign.
If you have a question, drop us a line.
AREA 42, 46 rue des Palais, 1030 Brussels
This forum is a high-level civil society-led gathering in Brussels bringing together representatives of EU institutions, Member States, civil society organisations, academia, farmers’ organisations, workers’ unions and international partners.
