The Future of Food Conference came back with its 5th edition on the 26th
of October, at the SPARKS event venue, in Brussels, in an entirely in-person format
The event took place as the current cohort of EU
policymakers approached the end of their mandate, and political Groups
began consolidating their positions ahead of the upcoming EU elections
in June 2024. Amidst the continued depletion and deterioration of soils,
ecosystems, and natural resources, the tensions between farmers, food
industry players, and policymakers rose high. The political debate
became increasingly divisive, and several key Green Deal initiatives
with great relevance to agrifood became stuck in fiery negotiations with
no end in sight. As the challenges rose in urgency, disagreement on how
to address them and distribute the cost hampered decision-making.
Against this background, the Future of Food Conference constituted a
moment for policymakers, industry representatives, farmers, NGOs,
startups, and academics to sit together and take stock of the past four
years, drawing lessons from the achievements and roadblocks of the Green
Deal, and cast a glance at the future. Reflecting the diversity of
participants and EIT Food's systemic approach, the 15 sessions that
animated the day tackled a variety of topics, from consumer information
and behaviour, to legislation, protein diversification, food security,
investment, and more. Marking the European Year of Skills, two sessions
delved deep into how to future-proof young professionals in the food
system, and exploring the topic of Deep Tech skills.
Over 200 attendees and 170 online viewers joined our 45 speakers for
this seminal moment and shared their insights in interactive
conversations. Looking to the upcoming legislature, these insights
have also been collected into a set of Policy Recommendations, which
you can download below.
Develop in-depth knowledge about food systems through studying consecutively at three distinct European academic institutions and use your knowledge to drive the future transformation of the food system.
Think Tank convenes selected stakeholders and partners, fostering broad and inclusive participation to overcome barriers to innovation in the field of protein diversification.
