Bridging Community-Led Action and EU Policy: Towards Just and Regenerative Food Systems

On 6 November 2025, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) hosted the policy dialogue “Housing and Food: Communities and Local Governments Driving Fair Sustainability Transitions,” co-organised by ICLEI Europe and ECOLISE. The afternoon session, organised by ECOLISE, focused on food systems transformation, bringing together EU policymakers, community-led initiatives, farmers, local government representatives, and civil-society organisations from across Europe.

The event marked the launch of ECOLISE’s Policy Paper, Reclaiming the Future of Food: Community Pathways to Resilience, Justice and Regeneration, a collaboratively written manifesto for community-led food system transformation, developed through a participatory process involving members, partners, and grassroots actors. Against the backdrop of the CAP reform, the future MFF and the shifting EU Green Deal agenda, the dialogue explored how community-led initiatives (CLIs) and local authorities can jointly drive the transition to regenerative, just, and democratic food systems.

Opening the session, Stoyan Tchoukanov (EESC NAT President) representing the Committee, “the first EU institution to promote regenerative agriculture,” described the NAT Section as “a think tank that turns politically unthinkable ideas into politically unavoidable ones”.

Leida Rijnhout (ECOLISE) called for “a just food transition at the same scale and ambition as the fossil fuel transition,” underlining the need for fair farmer incomes, thriving rural areas, and short, resilient supply chains.

Hannes Lorenzen from ARC2020 opened the food session highlighting the practical realities behind this transformation: urged for integrated rural policies that reconnect farmers and consumers and protect local infrastructure that is essential for the transition.

Caring for Our Land, Soil and Farmers

Healthy soils and thriving farmers are at the heart of Europe’s food resilience. Yet across the continent, industrial agriculture, land concentration, and extractive economic models continue to degrade soils, marginalise smallholders, and erode rural life.

This first panel asked a vital question: how can EU policy re-embed care for land, soil and people at the core of Europe’s food systems?. Moving from extractive productivity to regenerative stewardship means not only changing how we produce food, but also how we value it socially, economically, and ecologically.

The discussion brought together practitioners and advocates who are already putting regeneration into practice at local level.

Christos Karystinos (Evolving Cycles, Greece) presented permaculture as a community-led approach to regenerating both land and people. Drawing from his experience as a regenerative farmer in Crete, he showed how integrated soil and water management can build true climate resilience. 

Meanwhile, Ruth Marie Kondrup (Nordic Seed Alliance, Denmark) highlighted the three foundations of any resilient food system: seeds, soil, and people. With only a fraction of Europe’s crop diversity remaining in farmers’ hands, most of it is locked away in seedbanks, unable to evolve naturally or adapt to changing conditions while farm and seed knowledge is disappearing faster than it can be renewed. She called for a “living seed law” that guarantees legal space for non-commercial and community-based seed systems and safeguards local and heritage varieties carrying traits for drought, cold, and pest tolerance, traits that are vital for climate adaptation.

On another note, Giulia Gouet (Slow Food Europe) presented the Slow Food model, describing agroecology as “an act of resistance”, a living proof that another system is possible. Slow Food stands for redirecting CAP funding away from large industrial farms toward small-scale, community-based producers who regenerate land, culture, and biodiversity, recognize farmers are stewards of the land and food cultures

Finally, from the institutional side, Herwig Ranner, (DG AGRI), reflected on the evolving role of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and its progressive integration of agroecology and stronger sustainability incentives. 

Across perspectives, a common thread emerged: soil regeneration is community regeneration. Revitalising Europe’s rural areas means supporting farmers not just as producers, but as custodians of ecosystems, culture, and collective wellbeing. 

Food as a Common Good

The second panel explored commons-based and solidarity food models and the level of implementation that would make them possible.

Ruby Van der Wekken (Oma Maa Cooperative, Via Campesina, Finland) spoke about commons-based food systems as roots for systemic change and justice. Drawing on the concept of food sovereignty, the right of people to define their own food systems, she presented Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) as a living practice of democracy and cooperation, and Oma Maa, an exemplary case of CSA where farmers and citizens share both risks and harvests, co-producing food, knowledge, and community. 

In that sense, Jonathan Peuch (FIAN Belgium / CréaSSA) presented the proposal for a Social Security for Food, an initiative inspired by Belgium’s existing social protection systems for health and pensions. Through pilot projects and advocacy, FIAN promotes food as a fundamental right, not a commodity, that would not only guarantee universal access to nutritious food but also channel public funds toward agroecological and cooperative producers who deliver true social and environmental value.

While Almudena García Sastre (FIAN Europe) announced a new European Citizens’ Initiative to recognise the Right to Food in the EU; and MEP Cristina Guarda (Greens/EFA) urged formal recognition of commons-based food systems and protection of community access to land and seeds, despite current political headwinds. Joanna Stawowy (DG AGRI) encouraged the use of existing EU tools like public procurement and LEADER to strengthen local food systems; and finally, Pol Billon (City of Brussels) showcased how municipalities can lead by example—using public land for agroecological farming, feeding kindergartens through local procurement, and enabling “pay-what-you-can” food baskets.

Closing Reflections

Wrapping up, Sophia Silverton (ICLEI Europe) and Leida Rijnhout (ECOLISE) reflected on the parallels between the morning’s housing discussions and the afternoon’s food session: both fields require systemic change, shared governance, and community empowerment.

Stay tuned for the upcoming publication of ECOLISE’s extended policy paper on food systems transformation by signing up to our newsletter here.