The movement handed to Agriculture Commissioner Hansen its demands for EU food systems

Terra Madre Europe concluded yesterday with a strong and unified message to European policymakers: the European Union must adopt a coherent and ambitious food policy framework that recognises food as a public good and places public interest above private profit.

European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen attended the final event and took the time to meet producers, exchanging ideas and proposals for the future of EU agriculture and food policy.

Slow Food representatives from across EU Member States gathered in Brussels to define shared priorities for the future of food systems in Europe and beyond. The resulting recommendations, reflecting the lived experiences of farmers, producers, and communities already driving the transition toward more sustainable and resilient food systems, were formally handed to European Commissioner Hansen.

While agroecological models – in the fields and beyond – already exist across Europe, EU policies remain fragmented and continue to support systems that contribute to environmental degradation, economic vulnerability, and social inequality.

“Within Europe, the transition is already happening,” said Marta Messa, Secretary General of Slow Food. “Agroecological systems are delivering clear public benefits, from biodiversity to stronger local economies and dignified lives for farmers, yet they are still treated as marginal. What is missing is political coherence to make them the norm.”

Participating online, FAO deputy Director Maurizio Martina stressed how FAO also considers agroecology as the only viable path to a sustainable and economically viable transition.

Key Priorities for EU Action

Slow Food’s main demands highlight a systemic approach to good, clean and fair food for all.

1. Redirect public funding to support the agroecological transition

Slow Food calls for the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to prioritise farms that deliver public goods, including biodiversity, soil health, climate resilience, and animal welfare, alongside stable support for farmers in transition and new entrants.

“On our farm, agroecology means going beyond production to support ecosystem services,” said Jacopo Goracci, animal farmer and coordinator of the community of producers working together to protect, through farming, the Maremmana cow breed, a Slow Food Presidium. “We’ve developed solutions like a mobile slaughterhouse with veterinarians and universities, improving animal welfare without harming the land. Europe cannot focus only on producing more- we must produce according to good, clean and fair principles.”

2. Ensure fair prices and rebalance power in the food chain

Slow Food calls for measures to ban sales below the cost of production, improve price transparency, and strengthen farmers’ bargaining power.

“Small farmers across Europe are under pressure from economic crises, climate change, and unfair competition,” said Lilian Kouidou, founder of The Chilli Factor Organic Farm in Greece.
“You cannot ask farmers to lead the transition while keeping them economically vulnerable: fair prices are the foundation of any credible food policy.”

3. Rebuild local food systems and infrastructure

Investment in local processing, storage, and distribution is essential to strengthen territorial food systems and retain value in rural areas.

“Agroecology involves the whole food chain,  from farmers to consumers and chefs,” said Minae Tani-LaFleur, a Japanese food entrepreneur based in Helsinki.
“For us food has represented the perfect connection among immigrant communities. We now need policies that support new businesses, especially for women and migrants, and address key gaps such as affordability and enabling legislation.”

4. Align trade policy with environmental and social standards

Slow Food calls on the EU to introduce mirror measures and eliminate double standards in trade, including banning the export of substances prohibited within the EU.

“Europe cannot demand high standards from its farmers while importing food produced under lower ones,” said Sharon Sheets of Slow Food Germany.
“This undermines both sustainability and fairness as trade policy must be aligned with the European environmental and social standards.”

5. Guarantee access to good, clean and fair food for all

With around one in ten Europeans unable to afford a quality meal every other day, Slow Food calls for policies that ensure access to healthy, affordable, and culturally appropriate food.

“Farmers are asking policymakers to listen,” said Ana María Martín Sanchis, member of the Slow Food network in Spain.
“Agroecology is already a concrete solution. The knowledge and experience exist within networks like Slow Food- the challenge is to build policies that truly support them.”

6. Protect biodiversity, knowledge, and food cultures

The recommendations highlight the importance of agrobiodiversity, seed systems, and traditional knowledge, alongside more flexible regulations for small-scale producers.

“Agroecology offers a way to produce food without compromising ecosystems,” added Francesco Sottile, Slow Food Board Member. “But we are concerned it will not be sufficiently reflected in future EU policies. At a time of environmental urgency, political ambition must be strengthened, not diluted.”

From Fragmentation to Coherence

Slow Food’s proposals highlight a growing contradiction: while sustainable practices are expanding on the ground, EU policy frameworks remain misaligned.

Embedding agroecology across EU policies will be essential to scaling up these solutions- not as a niche approach, but as the foundation of Europe’s future food systems.

“This contradiction can no longer continue,” Messa concluded. “Food policy is not only technical or economic, it is cultural and political. It is about restoring connection and responsibility in how we produce and share food, while ensuring dignity and justice for all.”

Here you find Slow Food policy demands – Advancing agroecology as a systemic approach to good, clean and fair food for all

The event is made possible thanks to the support of various partners, such as the EU LIFE Programme, Meatless Monday and the European Climate Foundation. 

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