In a world shaken by geopolitical disruptions, intensifying climate challenges, and growing social and political polarisation, over a hundred high-level experts, policymakers, scientists and civic society representatives gathered in the 1st Strategic Food Summit held at the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts (KVAB) under the theme“REIMAGINE FOOD & AGRICULTURE: a Strategic Summit on the Narratives that Shape our Reality”.
Erika Staël von Holstein, CEO of the think tank Re-Imagine Europa (RIE), opened the summit emphasizing the urgent need to build new narratives that facilitate an open and fresh dialogue about agriculture and food systems: “We must find the courage and imagination to ask -not how to fix what was, but how to shape what comes next”. Acknowledging the complex challenges facing global agriculture, she encouraged attendees to “rethink the way we think” about farming and engage in constructive discourse and collaboration, stating, “Discomfort, in this case, is a signal -not of failure, but of thinking in motion”.
Ana Rodríguez Castaño, Secretary General for Agricultural Resources and Food Security at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of the Spanish Government, opened the plenary session “The Future of Food & Agriculture in a Changing World” offering the keynote remarks. She highlighted the importance of “sharing ideas and experiences” as an opportunity to foster collaboration and develop narratives that help counter growing polarisation in the global food and agriculture sector.
Peter Kearns, RIE’s Director for Sustainable Food Systems and Innovation, stated that “inevitably, policy development depends on expert and technical input, which implies a method of governance which includes the views of a range of stakeholders”. Building on this perspective, experts at the summit highlighted that innovative solutions for adaptation and new narratives about agriculture are crucial for bridging divides and building a sustainable, resilient food system in Europe and beyond.
The summit opened the day before with a Gala dinner at the European Parliament, co-organised by the European Food Forum (EFF) and Re-Imagine Europa, with insightful contributions and thought-starters from Stefan Köher MEP, Chair of the EFF; Professor Maria João Rodrigues, Chairwoman of Board of Re-Imagine Europa and President of the FEPS; Carmen Maria Crespo Díaz MEP, Chair of the Committee on Fisheries and VP Coordinator for Agriculture in the European People’s Party Group; Alisa Tigani, Expert at Commissioner Christophe Hansen’s Cabinet; and Paolo de Castro, member of the Board of Re-Imagine Europa and former Italian Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies.
The Strategic Food Summit is organised by Re-Imagine Europa together with a diverse coalition of partners including ALLEA – All European Academies, the European Environmental Agency, the European Institute for Agroecology, KVAB – Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts, the Environmental Defense Fund, the European Food Forum, EU-SAGE – European Sustainable Agriculture Through Genome Editing, Euroseeds, Bruegel and the Novo Nordisk Foundation, as well as key actors from the European institutions and counting also with the patronage of the European Parliament.
