At the Danish Presidency Event in Copenhagen, FoodCLIC co-organized, in collaboration with the project FEAST, SchoolFood4Change, and CLEVERFOOD the session “How can we advance food security through integrated health and biodiversity approaches?”. The event brought together researchers, policymakers, civil society actors, and practitioners to explore how Europe can strengthen food security through integrated One/Planetary Health approaches. Heidelberg University, ZonMW, ICLEI Europe and the Cities of Guldborgsund and Aarhus in Denmark, with support from the Nature based Solutions (NbS) Danish and Nordic Hubs, who are a part of the NetworkNature NbS Hubs Community, facilitated the workshop. Using the metaphor of an art gallery, participants co-created six “framed pictures,” each representing a different lens on the central question. The thematic frames covered Climate, Land Use and Spatial Planning; Health, Nutrition and Biodiversity; Power and Influence in Food Systems; Science–Policy–Society Interfaces; Financing Nature-Positive Food Systems; and Food Communication & Participatory Narratives.
Participants emphasized the complexity of food systems and the persistent barriers preventing coherent, cross-sector collaboration. In particular, discussions highlighted severe power imbalances, driven by corporate and regulatory capture, political influence, and the role of major lobby groups, as well as fragmented mandates and unclear definitions of where food policy “belongs” within European governance structures. Concerns were raised about undemocratic policy processes, insufficient representation of local and regional voices, and recent findings from the EU Ombudswoman that criticized maladministration in the rollback of environmental and human rights protections.
Structural inequities affecting farmers were also addressed, including land rights issues and the unfair distribution of CAP benefits, particularly for small-scale farmers who lease land but have little say in decisions that affect their livelihoods. Despite these challenges, participants focused on several governance tools that can already be leveraged to advance One/Planetary Health, such as spatial planning legislation, public procurement, climate and health strategies, and community-supported agriculture. They noted that agency exists at multiple levels of the food system and that empowering communities, municipalities, and civil society actors is essential for shifting power balances and driving healthier, more sustainable food systems. While much innovation and change is happening at micro and meso governance levels, these efforts are often constrained by national and EU policies that hinder local solutions from scaling.
Key Messages for Transformative Governance
Participants identified several core messages for informing future governance models in food, agriculture, and biodiversity:
- Countering corporate/regulatory capture requires strong multistakeholder partnerships that can advocate for redistributing power and advancing One/Planetary Health across Europe.
- Agency exists at every level of the food system from communities to markets to Member States, and governance processes must enable all actors to exercise this agency in shaping equitable food systems.
- Food currently exists in a governance “grey zone” between health, environment, climate, agriculture, and economics. Food deserves recognition as a distinct thematic area—potentially through a “Food in All Policies” approach similar to the Helsinki “Health in All Policies” declaration.
- Existing leverage points, from spatial planning to public procurement, must be used more effectively to implement One/Planetary Health–aligned policies.
The workshop concluded with a call to strengthen cross-sector collaboration, elevate community-driven initiatives, and ensure that European institutions play a more transparent, democratic, and supportive role in shaping food systems capable of withstanding future crises.
This article was written by Anna Bruen from ICLEI Europe
