Food is central to our societies; from our festivities, our cultures and our local businesses to our own dinner tables. But the way we produce and consume food is linked with big challenges that affect our health, our environments, and the livelihoods of the farmers who produce it. Fortunately, solutions are emerging across Europe, and we all have a role to play.
Food connects us all
As individuals, food connects with many aspects of our lives. It’s how we fuel ourselves for an active day and how we socialise with friends. Many of us even choose our holidays based on the tasty food we’ll find there.
Now, if we zoom out, it’s also clear that food isn’t just personal – it’s at the heart of our societies. The type of food we eat is connected with our health and well-being. In turn, our health has an impact on our ability to study, to work, and to play an active role in our communities.
Our food also has an impact on the health of the planet. Think about the journey of a tomato or a burger from the farm to your plate. Crops are grown, animals are raised, food is produced and packaged, products are transported to supermarkets and then our homes. We need to think about the impact of these different steps on wildlife and natural environments.
As consumers, we are all part of the ‘food system’. Some of us even have jobs within it.
What is the food system?
You can think of the food system as a giant, complicated machine full of people operating its many parts.
Working together, they all play a role in producing, distributing, consuming, and even disposing of our food.
Here are just some of the people who keep the food system running:
- Farmers
- Vets
- Environmental managers
- Packaging designers
- Shopkeepers
- Chefs
- Nutritionists
- Food technologists
- Quality and safety inspectors
- Food lawyers
Food in a world of technology
In recent times, technology and innovation have transformed our food system. The world is more connected than ever before. It means you can buy products from all over the globe in your local shop, and enjoy your favourite fruit and vegetables all year round. For instance, our relatives could only enjoy strawberries, oranges and grapes at certain times of year – if at all!
An increasingly complicated food system
Bit by bit, the way food is produced and shared around the world has become really complicated – and issues are emerging. The food system is affected by big problems like climate change and pollution. But, as you will discover in this article, the food system is also partly to blame for these problems.
Big problems facing the food system
People have strong opinions on how we should fix problems with our food system. You’ve probably heard politicians (or animated friends in a bar) arguing that all we need to do is eat more of this or tax that.
But the truth is, these issues are part of the same puzzle. Many of the food system’s biggest challenges are deeply connected. In solving them, we need to:
- Understand and tackle the underlying causes
- Join the dots between the challenges
- Learn from experience and think BIG!
If this still feels a bit confusing, don’t worry – we’ll break it down together.
1. Health
You’d think in today’s world, with all the knowledge and technology we have, most people would have access to nutritious food. But that’s far from the case. Globally, malnutrition has risen since 2019. Rising food prices and income inequality led to 2.8 billion people being unable to afford a healthy diet in 2022.1
In Europe, obesity is rising, along with certain diet-related diseases including heart disease, stroke, certain cancers and diabetes. But your risks of these conditions are linked with many other factors, including how much exercise you do and the environment you live in.
Find out more in "food for health: how diet can prevent disease"
2. Food security
On the whole, Europe enjoys relatively high levels of food security. But do you remember when, a few years ago, we couldn’t buy as much flour as we wanted? That was due to weaknesses in Europe’s food system that were revealed by events like the COVID-19 pandemic and conflicts that affect the flow of ingredients. You have probably noticed that prices have remained high, and life is very expensive these days!
Did you know?
- In 2023, one in ten people in the EU couldn’t afford a meal with meat, fish or a vegetarian equivalent every second day.
- Among those at risk of poverty, the number rises to over one in five.2
Learn more about it in our beginner's guide to food security.
3. Food waste and loss
Despite the fact that so many people still suffer from malnutrition, it’s shocking to know that around a third of all food is lost or wasted.3
What’s the difference between food loss and food waste?
Food waste happens when food that was meant to be eaten ends up in the bin. Think of those dinner leftovers you forgot about, or the Christmas turkeys that supermarkets couldn’t sell before they reached their sell-by dates.
Food loss, on the other hand, happens earlier in the food chain – during harvesting, storage, or distribution.
Around 13% of the world’s food is lost before it even reaches shops or markets, while another 19% is wasted once it gets there.4
Why does food loss and waste matter?
In lower-income countries, when staple crops – like rice, maize, or wheat – are damaged before or after harvest, it can hit small farms especially hard. These are basic foods that many people rely on every day. Many of these farms don’t have the money, tools, or storage infrastructure they need to protect their crops. When crops are affected by things like weather or disease, it puts both their income and the food supply at risk.
In wealthier European countries, many consumers are more protected from the immediate effects of food loss and waste. But it still adds up. If food wasted by consumers and retailers in the EU were cut in half, the average family of four could save around €400 a year.5 Most of this waste happens at home.
Did you know?
On average, each person in the EU throws away 131 kg of food every year.6 That’s roughly the same weight as two adult humans, or a female lion.
Why do we waste food?
Lots of reasons. Sometimes we buy more than we need – especially with tempting offers like “buy one, get one free”. These deals can be great for people on tight budgets, but it’s worth asking: Will I actually eat it all? Poor planning and storage also play a big role in food going to waste.
See our guide: Food waste: simple ways to waste less and save more
Wasting food also harms the planet
It’s not just the food that’s lost – it’s all the energy, water, and effort that went into producing it. Animals were raised, crops grown, ingredients processed, packaged, and transported. And when uneaten food ends up in a landfill, it releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
But spoiled lettuce is just one piece of a much larger puzzle. Other parts of the food system also place a heavy burden on the planet…
4. Climate and pollution
Climate change is no longer a problem for the future – its impacts are being felt across the world right now. And food production is one of the most vulnerable sectors. Droughts, floods, heatwaves, and pests are already disrupting how we grow food.
Experts warn that these extreme weather events are becoming more frequent in a warming world. They make it harder to grow crops, raise livestock and manage fisheries. Again, some locations will feel the impacts more than others. In Europe, farmers in Southern Europe face significant challenges with droughts and soil erosion.7
Food production and climate change
What about pollution? In the 20th century, science and technology helped farmers grow a lot more food – fast. This was known as the Green Revolution, and it helped reduce hunger in many countries. But it also came with problems. Fertilisers and pesticides can wash into rivers and lakes, polluting water and harming wildlife.
Why the system is stuck
It’s tempting to think we can solve food system challenges with a few minor repairs. Maybe a new waste processing facility here, a new policy there. But the problems run deeper.
The food system: an old house in need of repair
Think of the food system like a house with leaks. Water’s coming in from all sides: the ceiling, the windows, even the floorboards. You can place a few buckets under the drips and stick new wallpaper over the cracks. But eventually, mould starts to grow – and if a big storm hits, the whole roof might cave in.
The solution? Fix the whole structure while the sun is still shining.
In the same way, we need to tackle the root causes of our food system’s issues – rather than responding with small fixes every time a new problem arises. The challenge is that, unlike a house, the food system is not stationary. The problems it faces are constantly changing.
Here are three big reasons why meaningful change in the food system is so hard:
Challenge 1: Feeding a growing population
One of the biggest challenges we face is how to feed a rapidly growing global population. By 2050, we’ll need to feed over 9 billion people – which means an increase of 35–56% in food demand compared with 2010.10 Meeting this increased demand will require significant changes, as we’ll need to do it in a way that protects the environment, safeguards human health, and uses natural resources wisely.
The scale of this challenge is enormous. We’ll need to produce more food in the next 50 years than we’ve produced in the whole of human history so far.
Challenge 2: Competition for resources
Producing more food in the same way as today will mean using more land, water and energy. As we have mentioned, these resources are already under pressure.
Politicians face difficult decisions. Many countries are under pressure to increase food production, but they also need to keep their promises on climate targets. Not only that, they also face pressure to protect jobs in industries linked with fossil fuels, and to support rural communities where many people work in agriculture.
Challenge 3: Globalisation and the complexity of food chains
Today, food is a vast global industry. That has brought many benefits, like a greater variety and year-round access to products. But it’s also created a web of complex supply chains that are harder to monitor – and more fragile than they might seem. Global supply chains also make it harder to trace where food comes from and whether it’s safe. In recent years, cases of food fraud have increased in Europe. Criminals exploit the complexity of the system to mislabel, dilute, or substitute products for profit.
Case study: Food fraud in honey
In 2023, EU testing revealed that nearly half of honey imports from outside the EU were suspected of being fraudulent – often mixed with cheap sugar syrups to cut costs.11
Food fraud can reduce product quality, damage trust, and in some cases lead to serious food safety risks.
What we can do as individuals, voters, and citizens
It’s easy to feel powerless in the face of global problems – but the truth is, every food choice we make has an impact. The good news? Small changes can ripple outward, influencing markets, policies, and even entire communities.
As individuals, we don’t have to change everything we do overnight. But together, we can help steer the food system in a better direction – one meal, one vote, one conversation at a time.
Two of the key actions you can take to reduce your climate impact are:12
- Eating a diet rich in plants
- Reducing your food waste
You don’t have to stop there. When making choices, try asking yourself these three questions:
- Where does this food come from?
Try to buy local and seasonal ingredients when you can. This helps cut transport and storage emissions, and supports farmers in your region. - How was it produced?
Look for fresh, minimally processed foods. If a product has a long list of chemicals and additives, chances are it’s not doing much for your health or the planet. - What do the people I vote for stand for?
Support leaders and policies that protect nature, improve access to healthy food, and invest in sustainable farming.
Feeling ready to change the world? To keep your eco-journey going, get down to your local urban farm. Or you might even consider a career in food. Whether you become a farmer, supermarket worker, or a policymaker in Brussels, working in this space can be one of the most powerful ways to build a healthier, fairer world for everyone.
What’s Changing? The seeds of a better food future
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. That’s one of the lessons that Europe has learned the hard way. But Europe can also use the recent shocks as an opportunity to build a fairer, safer and more resilient food system. One that works for everyone.
Change is happening, gradually. Governments, researchers, farmers, businesses, schools and citizens are starting to work together to create a system that’s healthier, fairer, and more sustainable. Here are some of the changes that could be sped up through collective action.
Rethinking health: importance of balanced diets
Across Europe, people are waking up to the risks of unhealthy diets. Health advisors, journalists, and a range of influencers are drawing attention to the dangers of ultra-processed foods. These are products high in added sugar, salt, unhealthy fats, and artificial ingredients, but low in real nutrition. Soft drinks, crisps and snack bars are common examples.
In response, new companies are developing healthier products, often with a focus on varying the proteins that we consume. For instance, you’ve probably seen burgers made from plants like soy, beans, and even algae, though many of these are still classified as ultra-processed food.
Meanwhile, nutrition science is evolving. Experts now better understand how food affects the body across different life stages, and how it should be paired with physical activity. There’s growing interest in personalised nutrition – adapting diets to our individual needs, health goals and genetics.
Policymakers can support this shift by making healthy options more affordable and backing the people creating them.
Farming smarter: reducing climate impact
Another big opportunity is to change how we grow and raise our food. While meat will remain a key part of many people’s diets, we can reduce its environmental impact by supporting sustainable farming practices.
That’s where new ways of farming come in. You may have heard of regenerative agriculture. This approach focuses on restoring soil, improving biodiversity, and locking carbon into the ground. It’s gaining popularity across Europe, with food companies partnering with regenerative farmers – so, look out for more products on shelves soon.
Governments should help farmers switch to more eco-friendly types of farming. They can support with the tools, training and funding needed.
See our article: Regenerative agriculture: what is it and why does it matter?
Shorter food chains: growing local
Shortening supply chains is another way to strengthen the system. Across Europe, local food initiatives and farmers’ markets are thriving, and digital platforms are helping connect producers with nearby consumers.
With urban areas expanding – two-thirds of the global population will live in cities by 2050 – urban farming is gaining ground. Bringing food production closer to where people live reduces transport emissions and supports local economies.
Urban farms and community gardens not only grow fresh produce, but also help reconnect people with where their food comes from.13
Education is key
Understanding the food system and what a healthy, sustainable diet looks like is essential for navigating today's complex food landscape. Supermarket shelves are packed with cleverly marketed products, which means nutritious options can lose their appeal. As consumers, we need to be well-informed!
Food education can play a critical role. It helps people make better choices and feel confident about their daily food decisions. Starting early is especially powerful. When children learn where their food comes from, how it’s grown, and why it matters, they develop skills and habits that last a lifetime.
FoodEducators, a programme of EIT Food, provides resources for teachers to guide students aged 6–18 through the complexities of the food system, helping them understand where our food comes from, how to eat it, and why it matters. Programmes like this are an opportunity to educate children and help them enjoy food. They might even decide they want to work within the food system one day and play a part in its future.
If you’d like to see this kind of learning in your child’s school, you can recommend the FoodEducators programme. It’s grounded in scientific evidence and available in 15 languages, making it accessible to classrooms across Europe.
Shaping tomorrow’s food system, today
We hope you now see that the challenges facing our food system are real – and they’re BIG and COMPLEX. But they’re not impossible to solve. Across Europe, people are already rethinking how we grow, share, eat, and learn about food. From farmers rebuilding the soil to scientists designing healthier meals, change is happening. And you’re part of it. Every meal, every vote, and every conversation matters. Once we understand the challenges, we can all embrace the new opportunities.
