Slow Food: We think it does, that’s why we support the European Citizens’ Initiative on the Right to Food.

Europe does not lack food. According to Eurostat, in 2024 alone, the EU produced 258 million tons of cereals, 162 million tons of raw milk, and 21 million tons of pork, generating a €36 billion trade surplus in agri-food products, which means that the EU exported more products (in value) than it imported.

Furthermore, in the EU, 10% of food may be wasted along the chain, and 62% of the impacts occur during consumption (households + restaurants). Food waste accounts for about 16% of the EU food system’s total environmental footprint. The EU generated slightly more than 58 million tonnes of food waste. (always Eurostat, 2023)

And yet, millions of people across the continent cannot afford a proper meal. In 2024, 8.5% of the EU population were unable to afford a meal with meat, fish or a vegetarian equivalent every second day. Among people at risk of poverty, this figure rises to 19.4%, reaching nearly 40% in some Member States, such as Slovakia and Bulgaria, while the lowest rates were registered in Cyprus (3.5%), Ireland (5.1%), Portugal (5.1%). (data Eurostat).

Food insecurity, diet-related diseases and unequal access to fresh food persist in both urban and rural areas.  The cost of a healthy diet has increased by more than 35% since 2019. Affordability pressures are reflected in deteriorating diet-related health outcomes across the EU, with more than half of adults (50.6%) classified as overweight in 2022. (data Eurostat).

Having a 24/7 vending machine selling ultra-processed snacks in a neighborhood does not mean access to food. Access means the availability of fresh, healthy, minimally processed food at an affordable price. Food insecurity should not be seen as a consumer failure, but a structural one.

Europe’s food system has been structured to maximise output and competitiveness, pushing farmers towards specialisation and economies of scale aimed at distant markets. Yet farm incomes remain significantly below the EU average, and many producers are paid prices that do not cover their costs of production. This imbalance is not accidental: it reflects policy choices and market structures that prioritise volume and price competition over fair remuneration, environmental stewardship and the long-term resilience of rural communities.

“Europe produces more than enough food, yet power in the food system is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few large agribusiness corporations. Through monopolies, opaque pricing, and aggressive marketing, they shape food environments while consumers are left with the illusion of choice. The real question is who benefits from our food system and who is left behind. Recognizing the right to food at EU level means shifting power away from speculation and excessive concentration, and toward farmers, communities, and citizens. Healthy food must be a guaranteed right, not a privilege. A rights-based approach rebalances power and places people, farmers, and communities at the center of food systems”, comments Francesco Sottille, Slow Food Board Member.

The Right to Food: recognized, but not guaranteed
The Right to Food is not abstract, it is enshrined in the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and already legally binding for 172 individual countries around the world. It is the most concrete, everyday expression of dignity, interlinked with other essential human rights, namely the right to health, education, and life itself.  According to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), the right to adequate food is fulfilled when every person has reliable physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food at all times, or has the means to obtain it.

Yet in the European Union, this right is not explicitly guaranteed in legislation. Governments acknowledge it but fail to implement it effectively.

“It is no longer enough for institutions to recognize the right to food in principle. European institutions must take responsibility and translate this recognition into binding policies and concrete action. Ensuring access to healthy food is not a charitable gesture, it is a legal and moral obligation. Food that is healthy for people also respects and sustains the environment.”, added Sottile.

Why Slow Food Supports the European Citizens’ Initiative
For this reason, by joining more than 240 organizations in promoting the European Citizens’ Initiative “Food is a Human Right for All”, Slow Food calls on EU institutions to transform legal recognition into concrete political obligations.

Guaranteeing the right to food requires systemic change and means:

• Stronger support within the CAP for small-scale farmers and agroecology
• Fair prices and decent incomes for producers
• Territorial and urban food policies that strengthen local supply chains
• Measures to curb excessive market concentration and speculation
• Policies that protect seeds, biodiversity, and farmers’ rights
• Public procurement rules that prioritize healthy, sustainable food

A right to food that ignores how food is produced is an empty promise.
The Good Food for All ECI aims to collect one million signatures by January 2027, in order to ask the European Commission to examine the initiative.

From Policy to Practice
Ensuring access to good, clean and fair food is Slow Food’s daily mission. For decades, the movement has worked alongside farmers, fishers, artisans and cooks to defend biodiversity, promote agroecology and protect food cultures across Europe and beyond.

In the coming months, Slow Food will amplify these demands through two major gatherings: Terra Madre Europe, bringing food communities to the heart of EU policy discussions in June 2026, and the 16th edition of Terra Madre Salone del Gusto in Turin from September 22 to 28, the world’s largest event dedicated to food policy and food communities.
Europe already has the resources, the knowledge and the farmers already showing the way. What we need now is a clear political will to ensure the right to food is not charity but a pillar of democracy.

You can sign and support the ECI here

INDEPENDENT NEWS IS IMPORTANT.

Enjoy reading Eco Voice? Please help us by purchasing a GIFT Voucher or send one to a friend and encourage people to purchase trees or seeds via The Native Shop – www.nativeshop.com.au

Plants, seeds & more delivered to your door!