Stronger Food Future for Europe through Shared Effort

In Europe, feeding our communities is becoming increasingly urgent with each season. The food systems that we have been accustomed to are not as robust as we thought they were, as conflicts, pandemics, and climate disruptions have reminded us, sometimes painfully. Opportunity also shows itself in fragility. And it is in these times of upheaval that we are summoned to unite, to hear profoundly, and to create something stronger on which the generations to come will rely.

It is time for an EU-wide policymaker partnership that EU4advice, COREnet, Province of Flevoland, CopaCogeca and Amped are proud to be developing together: a programme that is not only informative, but will actually mobilise the people who can influence food policy in Europe.

The central question of this programme is a simple yet deep one: how can the regions enhance food security during disruption, and what could policymakers do to increase resilient SFSC in Europe? Localised Short Food Supply Chains (SFSC), which means local producers going directly to their communities, are not a nostalgic ideal. They are vital infrastructure. When world supply chains break down, the farmers and local networks keep people fed. These are not abstract policy issues. We have experienced this with the COVID-19 pandemic and with the incredible resilience that Ukrainian farmers have demonstrated in the face of war. 

CORENet and EU4Advice have been slowly and consistently laying the groundwork towards precisely this type of knowledge exchange. Our network has over 600 registered advisors, plus over 50 policy makers and more than 30 recorded Golden Cases (actual ground-level short food supply chains that have made a difference). It is a caring community that has expanded due to the belief that food systems can and need to work to benefit all.

Four-Stage Programme

The programme will take place in four thoughtfully planned stages, with each stage building on the previous stage and adding more voices to the discussion. The first is a preparation stage, getting the groundwork laid, by working with trusted networks like Cleverfood, CopaCogeca, EU4Advice, and CORENet, creating content that actually aids comprehension, and getting inspirational speakers to the table. A special event in April, organised in collaboration with COREnet and EU4Advice, will provide the participants with a profound understanding of food security through the lenses of short food chain practitioners – the individuals who are aware of this endeavour as it is.

Then the programme proceeds to an inspiration phase, which will focus on the ERIAFF event in Amsterdam on 12 May, where the participants will be invited to meet and listen to two strong voices. Oleksandra Avramenko will speak on how the food systems in Ukraine worked when the war started, and how local food supply chains responded in that war crisis situation. Mark Frederiks will consider the collaboration between short food supply chains, Makro, and farmer collectives to keep communities in the Netherlands alive during the pandemic, when the traditional systems failed to do so. These are appeals to be better informed about what is at issue, and what is possible.

The activation stage, which spans between June and September, goes further into the conversation. The proposed meeting in Utrecht (between 2 and 4 June) in the framework of the Cities Leading Food Production gathering will enable voices throughout Europe to speak on what farmers and cities can do to prepare, how Living Labs can enable resilience, and how policymakers can enable short food chains to thrive. Roundtable sessions will be taped and moulded into a tangible action plan and the participants are highly encouraged to be part of the co-creation process to offer policy recommendations and planning.

The journey will culminate in the last stage at the 13-16 October Copacogeca annual farmer congress in Stockholm, where the findings will be communicated to policymakers, farmer organisations, and the European institutions. It is not merely to deliver a report but to initiate a common action, and to bring the voices of farmers, advisors, and local communities into the halls where decisions are taken.

The difference in this programme is the spirit in which it has been conceived. It is not a top-down policy communication exercise. It is a true partnership of organisations that trust each other, are committed to the people working within and relying on the food systems in Europe, and realise that change is enduring when all have a seat at the table. EU4Advice and COREnet are delighted to collaborate with Cleverfood, FOOD2030, CopaCogeca, and the Province of Flevoland in this effort, because food security is a concern of care, community, and collective responsibility, and a well-informed and well-linked policymaker is one of our most valuable partners in defending it.

We hope to see you on this adventure: in Amsterdam, in Utrecht, in Stockholm, and at every stop along the way. To share your interest in participating or to find out more, contact the EU4Advice team.

h Cleverfood, FOOD2030, CopaCogeca, and the Province of Flevoland in this effort, because food security is a concern of care, community, and collective responsibility, and a well-informed and well-linked policymaker is one of our most valuable partners in defending it.

We hope to see you in this adventure: in Amsterdam, in Utrecht, in Stockholm, and in each place along the road. To share your interest in participating or to find out more, contact the EU4Advice team.