Terra Madre Europe (Brussels, 7-9 June) brings farmers and food communities from 27 countries to the heart of EU decision?making with concrete agroecological solutions and policy demands
At a time of growing geopolitical uncertainty, Europe’s food system is facing a moment of reckoning. The dominant agricultural model remains structurally dependent on fossil fuels and synthetic inputs, tying food production to global supply chains that are fragile and increasingly exposed to disruption.
Recent international tensions and supply?chain shocks affecting energy and agricultural inputs have once again highlighted the risks of Europe’s over?reliance on external resources. Volatility in fertiliser and energy markets is driving up production costs, squeezing farmers’ incomes and contributing to food price instability, as underlined by FAO. With large volumes of fertilisers used in the EU produced outside Europe and transported along strategic routes, the agri?food system remains highly vulnerable, reinforcing a central lesson: food security and resilience cannot be built on dependency.
“The geopolitical pressures we are witnessing should be read as a clear signal,” says Marta Messa, Secretary General of Slow Food. “Europe has the responsibility, and the opportunity, to reduce its structural vulnerabilities. Agroecology is not an abstract concept or an ideological position; it is a concrete, existing approach already practiced by food communities across Europe.”
Agroecological farming systems reduce and ultimately eliminate dependency on synthetic fertilizers by working with natural processes such as crop rotations, composting, intercropping, and the careful integration of animal farming. In doing so, they strengthen soil health, biodiversity, farmers’ autonomy, and long?term resilience. Crucially, agroecology also reconnects production with consumption, reshaping demand through public procurement, food education, and shorter food chains so that what is produced responds to ecological limits and social needs, not globalised markets.
“The solution is not to diversify fertilizer supply routes,” Messa adds. “It is to invest public resources in agroecological systems that deliver resilience, climate mitigation, food sovereignty, and fair livelihoods.” Making this transition concrete requires decisive political choices: redirecting CAP payments towards agroecological systems, prioritising pasture?based livestock farming, and ensuring full coherence between EU trade policy and sustainability objectives.
27 Countries, Many Agroecological Solutions
These issues will be at the core of the second edition of Terra Madre Europe, which will bring together Slow Food farmers, cooks, and food community representatives from 27 European countries in Brussels from 7 to 9 June.
Throughout the gathering, participants will present concrete agroecological solutions already being implemented on the ground by farmers, fishers, pastoralists, educators, cooks, and co?producers. These experiences demonstrate that agroecology can effectively contribute to EU objectives on climate adaptation, biodiversity protection, rural development, and food system resilience, while remaining economically viable and socially just.
European cooks and farmers will highlight the importance of rebuilding strong relationships along the food chain, from production to consumption, showing how territorial food systems rooted in cooperation and transparency are key to delivering good, clean and fair food.
“As organic farmers, beyond rejecting pesticides and cultivation methods that strip food of its vital properties and lead to environmental imbalance, we organize the biodiversity of the farm to create a self-regulating and renewable ecosystem. We are a small farm but we managed to keep a 5 membered family living. We don’t dig, no till, we are not using heavy machinery. Our footprint is low in carbon and high in creating real, clean, amazing food. Policies like the CAP must start from these realities if Europe wants resilient agriculture.” – Lilian Koidou from the Chilli Factor Organic Slow Food Farm in Greece.
Terra Madre Europe: policy dossiers under the spotlight
Discussions at Terra Madre Europe will connect agroecological practice to the policy frameworks that shape Europe’s food system, from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to animal welfare standards, plant-rich diets, public procurement and trade policy.
Participants will reflect on how future agri-food policies can better support agroecological transitions through fairer income support and genuine public?money?for?public?goods mechanisms, while ensuring coherence with Europe’s climate, biodiversity, and food strategies.
Animal welfare will be addressed as an integral component of agroecology, rather than as a separate or market?driven issue, highlighting how extensive and agroecological animal farming enhances both ethical standards and environmental performance.
“Animal welfare is not an economic utopia, it is part of sustainability itself. On our farm, animals raised in environments that respect their behaviour and their relationship with the landscape are productive and resilient. The problem is that EU policies still tend to reward intensive systems disconnected from land and ecosystems. If Europe wants to be coherent, the CAP must prioritise pasture?based farming, support farming in inner areas, and reward those systems that generate biodiversity, landscape stewardship, and real farm wellbeing. So, animal welfare must be assessed through animal-based outcomes and system coherence, not only through compliance or infrastructure.” – Jacopo Goracci, farmer and breeder, Tenuta di Paganico (Italy)
Trade policy will also feature prominently, with discussions focusing on the need for greater coherence between EU agricultural objectives and import requirements, avoiding the externalisation of social and environmental costs and strengthening food sovereignty both within Europe and globally. In this context, public procurement emerges as a decisive lever to support agroecology, fair prices for farmers, and healthy food in schools and public institutions across Europe, clearly signalling that the question is no longer whether agroecology works, but whether European policies are ready to recognise it, support it, and scale it.
Spotlight on Belgium and Food Communities
Terra Madre Europe will also highlight Belgium’s diverse network of agroecological producers and food initiatives, showcasing how local food communities already contribute to resilient territorial food systems.
Key moments in Brussels include:
- Sunday, 7 June – Slow Food Brussels Earth Market
A special edition of the Earth Market bringing together around 20 agroecological producers, featuring:- educational activities and workshops for children and families
- a convivial closing moment
- opportunities to meet farmers, artisans, and cooks building food systems rooted in land, culture, and care
- Monday, 8 June – Slow Food Network Capacity Building
Capacity?building session for Slow Food network members (invitation only) - Tuesday, 9 June – Taste & Talk – Agroecology in Action: Voices from the Slow Food network
A dedicated moment where Slow Food will present some key demands of its European network directly to policymakers, drawing on the experiences shared at Terra Madre Europe and outlining priority actions for a just transition towards agroecology, centred on resilience, food sovereignty, and social justice.
More detailed information available here: https://www.slowfood.com/
The event is made possible thanks to the support of various partners, such as Meatless Monday, the Johns Hopkins University, the European Climate Foundation
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