Rethinking food systems offers a major opportunity to address global challenges. A new model shows how citizens can play a central role in innovation.

Europe discards nearly 60 million tonnes of food every year — a loss worth over €130 billion and responsible for almost 10% of global emissions. From cargo bike recovery fleets to AI systems that predict waste before it happens, new solutions are reshaping how cities and canteens respond. Because as experts remind us, “the redistribution of leftover produce is not charity — it is about the right to food.” 

Our food choices shape the planet. From farms to our plates, sustainable eating impacts biodiversity, climate, and social justice. A travelling exhibition and a visionary farmer are working to transform the global food system. One bite at a time. 

Pieces of food disappearing into a bin with every wrong answer and neighbours crafting recipes together with vegetables from their “edible district”. Where dry statistics fail, fun and emotions prove powerful tools for raising awareness about food waste and food sharing. Challenges remain, but experts agree: “Serious games have enormous potential to mobilise and engage communities in environmental education”.

Food waste is a large contributor to global warming. Increasing efforts are being made to “upcycle” ingredients that are not normally eaten, but “time is running out", says the International Food Waste Coalition. Can the agri-food industry turn the tide in the drive for sustainability?

Locals and refugees cooking and eating together, “edible neighbourhoods” and surplus redistribution. How a digital compass will help people get oriented among food sharing schemes and issue a call to policy makers: “Resilient urban systems and fostering people’s engagement are key to saving the planet”.

Brexit presents big risks for food supply in the UK, but could it also offer an opportunity for the country to change the way it produces and sells food? Maybe, but only if the government step-ups and takes local food systems seriously

From the ‘uberisation’ of last mile delivery to the use of smart lockers, from the offer of ready-to-eat products to the constant search for higher produce quality: how short food supply chain (SFSC) producers may face distribution costs and compete with supermarkets

Ever more citizens are opting for short food supply network to get fresh local produce. They bypass supermarkets and support sustainable agriculture. However, this is often the prerogative of an educated and activist population. The challenge is to involve more disadvantaged people

Blockchain is mostly known in finance as a technology linked to cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin. However one of the most innovative applications relates to the food sector, which can use this technology to get more transparent supply chains

Stories of European farms that make profitable food supply systems "from farm to fork" show that networking is crucial

European researchers carried out final tests on an innovative technique to lengthen shelf life of food

Three projects on novel food processing took the stage at the international conference of the European Federation of Food Science and Technology (EFFoST) to present their findings

New technologies are being used to cut the distance our food travels from source to table. It could revolutionise the way we buy and consume groceries in future, boosting the sale of local produce and landing fresher fare on our plates

Right now, the European Union doesn’t have enough animal feed of its own to nourish livestock, forcing it to bring in supplies from beyond the bloc’s borders. To face this unsustainable dependency, researchers are looking for alternative protein sources

Lentils and broccoli, algae and insects: science is investigating traditional and new diets in a bid to reduce the risks of us getting ill

Can a novel technique, which combines high pressure with temperature, be the ace in the hole of the food industry to tackle bacteria, reduce the energy required for food processing and improve quality as well?

Combining high pressure and temperature for food processing could produce high quality products that stay fresh for weeks. But can it safely tackle deadly food borne illnesses such as botulism?

Seafood is the main component of European Christmas menus. But with rising concern about chemical pollution in the marine environment, is seafood safe to eat?