We are pleased to invite you to our conference Ensuring Access to Quality Food for All, which will take place at the European Parliament in Brussels. The event will be held on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., both online and in person. It will address the challenges of access to quality food in the context of shifting political priorities related to the distribution of European funds.
Food Insecurity in Europe: Food Aid Facing Growing Challenges
Food aid has become a structural solution to the problem of food insecurity, yet it has not received adequate support from public authorities. In recent years, however, the sector has faced an increasing number of difficulties: a significant reduction in the quantity and quality of donations from supermarkets, a growing number and diversity of people affected, a crisis in volunteer engagement…
At this decisive moment for the European continent, where economic and geopolitical issues intersect with multiple societal transitions, what levers of action are available to policymakers and grassroots actors to ensure access to quality food for all?
What synergies are possible between agriculture and food aid?
During this conference, food aid stakeholders, representatives from the agricultural sector, researchers, policymakers, and civil society actors will engage in dialogue on the best ways to support the food aid sector at a time when negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) of the European Union are underway. The speakers will present their solutions and advocacy proposals, such as encouraging synergies between agriculture and the food aid sector, or advocating for the implementation of a European right to food.
The full program of the conference will soon be available. It will be structured around two roundtables:
Roundtable 1: Local Solutions and Challenges for Food Aid and Agricultural Actors
- Frédéric Hallez – Director of the social grocery Perspectiv’ and President of CPAS Comines-Warneton
- Émilie Many – Director of the social grocery Les Capucines
- Céline Braillon – Vice-President of the association Économie Solidarité Partage
- Marie Jonnard – CIVAM Le Serpolet
- Marion Villar – Project Manager at Active, Pôle de l’Économie Solidaire
- Moderator: Céline Lauvergner – Development Officer at Active, Pôle de l’Économie Solidaire
Roundtable 2: Challenges in Making the Right to Food Effective in European Policies
- Magali Ramel – PhD in Public Law and Postdoctoral Researcher at the Law and Social Change laboratory
- Esteban Arriaga – CEO of FEBA
- Moderator: Mariana Pfenniger – Director of Consulting & International Projects at Transit Pro
ECHOP: Training Food Aid Leaders to Diversify Their Sources of Supply
The conference Ensuring Access to Quality Food for All is organized within the framework of the ECHOP project, supported by the Erasmus+ program of the European Union and carried out in partnership between Pour La Solidarité, Active, Pôle de l’économie solidaire, Perspectiv’, and CEPS. Over two years, the partners have worked on developing a variety of tools to strengthen the skills of leaders in innovative supply practices. These tools include:
