Last year's Demopratic Forum marked a significant step forward for food democracy and human rights advocacy in Europe. The forum became a platform to showcase the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) titled "Good Food for All," aiming to recognize the right to food within the European Union’s legal framework.
Coinciding with the 52nd annual gathering of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), an international and intergovernmental forum dedicated to addressing global food security and nutrition, the ECI gained notable attention. Established by the United Nations in 1974 and reformed in 2009, the CFS annually convenes governments, UN agencies, civil society, the private sector, and philanthropic institutions to shape voluntary policy recommendations that bolster food security worldwide.
The initiative was formally introduced during a CFS side event by Professor Christophe Golay of the Geneva Graduate Institute. Professor Golay emphasized the alignment between the ECI and the core objectives of the CFS, highlighting the responsibilities the right to food imposes on public authorities to address social and environmental challenges in our food systems. This right, Golay argued, is central to holding policymakers accountable and addressing the inconsistency in the European Union's current human rights stance—one that vigorously promotes human rights externally yet neglects them domestically.
In parallel, Fondazione Mater organized an external event supported by the City of Rome to further advance the ECI. This event gathered influential voices such as Professor Michael Fakhri, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food; Paula Goia from the European Coordination of La Via Campesina; Silvia Taviani from Save the Children; Professor Christophe Golay; and Professor Tomaso Ferrando from the University of Antwerp. Ferrando, in particular, underscored the necessity of grassroots initiatives like the ECI to confront institutional inertia in the EU and emphasized the transformative potential of embedding the right to food within Europe's political and legal landscape.
Participants engaged deeply with the panelists, reinforcing the urgency of the ECI's mission and its holistic approach to food justice—from production to consumption. The discussion highlighted critical, yet often overlooked, aspects of the food system such as labor conditions, food poverty, corporate market dominance, the patenting of biodiversity, and inadequate techno-fix solutions. By tackling these interconnected issues, the ECI aims to reshape Europe's approach to food security and sovereignty, fostering dignity and agency across the entire food system.
The enthusiastic reception and robust support at both events clearly demonstrate the ECI’s timeliness and its vital role in sparking necessary political and legal debates on food rights within the EU. The initiative exemplifies a powerful means through which citizens can directly influence European policy towards achieving good food for all.