Towards national food policies in the EU that support healthy and sustainable consumption

What this event is about

Food policy is at the heart of many interconnected challenges – from food security and public health to environmental sustainability. But how can food policy be implemented effectively to tackle these issues across multiple levels of governance?

Drawing on the policy paper “Towards food policies that support healthy and sustainable consumption – country case studies and the role of the EU” by the think tanks Agora Agriculture and IDDRI (link to be found in the “related” section below), the webinar discussed the potential of demand-side policies for healthier and more sustainable consumption patterns.

Together with experts from different European countries the aim was to inform national policymakers and other stakeholders about opportunities related to the development of demand-side food policies. The webinar

• provided an overview of relevant policies and instruments, success factors and barriers. Specifically, we examined the key policies necessary to support fair food environments. Policies fostering such food environments not only enhance food-related competences but also improve the availability, affordability and appeal of healthy and sustainable food consumption. On the panel for this part:
  • Stephanie Wunder (Agora Agriculture)
  • Charlie Brocard (IDDRI)
       
• featured policy experts across Europe who shared insights from existing efforts and good practices.
  On the panel for this part:
  • UK: Ben Reynolds (IEEP UK)
  • Denmark: Michael Minter (CONCITO)
  • Netherlands: Dr. Hilke Bos-Brouwers (Wageningen University and Research)
  • Sweden: Jonna Wiklund (Stockholm Environment Institute)
  • Poland: Adrianna Wrona (IZG/Green Economy Institute)
     
• discussed key success factors and barriers to implementing demand-side food policies, including through feedback from policymakers.
  On the panel for this part:
  • Slovenia: Dr. Ana Frelih-Larsen (Minister's Cabinet, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Slovenia)
  • France: Erwan de Gavelle, PhD (Head of Unit in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, France)
  • Denmark: Mads Frederik Fischer-Møller (Senior food policy advisor, Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries)

The 2-hour webinar also explored how national food strategies and a supportive EU policy framework can help build a more cohesive approach to addressing food system challenges.

Presentation
The slides shown can be found in the download section below.