🇪🇺 ConfĂ©rence pour l’accès Ă une alimentation de qualitĂ© pour tous au Parlement europĂ©en
FEBA took centre stage at the European Parliament on Tuesday, October 14th, to tackle the urgent issue of rising food insecurity across Europe. The conference was an initiative hosted by MEP Eric Sargiacomo (S&D Group).
The core of the discussion was the shocking reality that 38.5 million Europeans cannot afford a balanced meal every other day. FEBA is crucial in addressing this nutritional and social problem, yet as FEBA CEO Esteban Arriaga highlighted, the immense workload demands shared responsibility from Europe and its Member States. The event featured two round tables:
- Inspiring Local Solutions: Showcasing effective models from organisations like Espigoladors, Économie Solidaire Partage, LES PANIERS DE LA MER, and Les Capucines.
- Activating European Levers for the Right to Food: During this section, FEBA advocated for systemic change while reinforcing that food banks are needed more than ever, and that access to food isn’t just about what’s consumed; it’s fundamentally about people’s legal, social, and economic entitlement. Arriaga provoked the institutions, questioning whether, for them, food is a right or a privilege. And for food banks, it is definitely a right.
Alongside us, Ruth Paserman (European Commission), Magali Ramel (CNRS), Humundi, and FIAN International reinforce the importance of strengthening public policies through measures like funding for food banks, school programs, and strategic food stocks.
Our thanks go to MEP Sargiacomo for hosting this needed discussion. The powerful takeaway is that the 40-year effort of Food Banks proves their value. However, the difficulty in expanding our reach raises a significant barrier: Europe cannot be truly innovative, competitive, or sustainable while 10% of its population is excluded. Their inclusion is not charity—it’s an investment in Europe’s future.
