Barcelona, 24 March 2026 — Eat Europe participated in Alimentaria Barcelona 2026, one of the most important agri-food fairs in Europe, held in the presence of the Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, with a dedicated talk pitch during the Agrifood Summit “Sistemas alimentarios globales.”

Paolo Di Stefano, Executive Director of Eat Europe, delivered a speech outlining the organization’s vision for the future of sustainable food systems across Europe.

The intervention focused on Eat Europe’s initiative to bring together all actors across the food chain who share a commitment to promoting and enhancing European agricultural and agrifood products.

Eat Europe highlights the value of European know-how, rooted in quality, tradition, and some of the highest food safety standards worldwide.

“Europe does not need to reinvent its food model from scratch — it already produces “better”. The real challenge is to put our producers in the condition to produce more, not less, through innovation and targeted investments.”

During the speech, Paolo Di Stefano also presented the comparative study already presenting back in December 2025 in the European Parliament, assessing the state of food sustainability across European Union countries, contributing to the ongoing debate on the future of food systems. He stressed the importance of empowering consumers through better food education and clearer information, while promoting fresh, local, and minimally processed products as the foundation of healthier and more sustainable diets.

The speech also included strong remarks on current market trends. “We cannot ignore the growing dominance of ultra-processed products in our food systems. They may be attractive and sometime convenient, but they are often disconnected from nutritional quality, tradition, and real sustainability.” He added, “At the same time, not all alternatives to animal proteins automatically represent a better solution. Some of these products raise legitimate questions about their nutritional value and long-term health impact, and this debate must remain open, evidence-based, and transparent.”

Paolo Di Stefano further emphasized the need to reassess agricultural policies in order to better balance productivity, sustainability, and social well-being, while ensuring that healthy diets remain affordable and accessible to all citizens. He called for a broader societal shift toward responsible consumption and for a fairer distribution of value across the food chain, ensuring that producers, distributors, and consumers all play an equitable role.

“European producers have the knowledge, the standards, and the heritage to lead globally,” he concluded. “What we need now is the courage to invest, innovate, and scale up a model that already works.”

Eat Europe’s participation at Alimentaria Barcelona underscores its commitment to fostering a more sustainable, inclusive, and high-quality European food system.