IGCAT (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism), proud partners of Slow Food, was present at the online seminar held on Wednesday, 18 June 2025, to launch the new policy brief: “What’s the Deal? Making EU Agrifood Trade Work for Better Food Systems”.
The policy brief from Slow Food urges the European Union to radically rethink its food trade strategy, arguing that the current global agrifood model—based on deregulated markets, export-led agriculture, and corporate concentration has deepened the fragility of food systems and exacerbated social and environmental harm both within the EU and globally.
With the 2025 trade tensions and threats of new U.S. tariffs exposing critical weaknesses in global food supply chains, this is a pivotal moment to advocate for a transition to fair, agroecological, and localised food systems.
Marta Messa, Secretary General of Slow Food, emphasised:
“The precarious state of global food prices and supply chains is a direct consequence of a flawed trade system. The EU must seize this moment to transition toward agroecological, localized, and socially just food systems.”
The policy brief highlights:
- The colonial and industrial roots of today’s food trade model
- How the commodification of food undermines community resilience
- Concrete proposals to empower local food democracy, agroecology, and food sovereignty
It identifies three priority reforms:
- Enforcing “mirror measures” so that food imports respect EU environmental and social standards
- Supporting the shift away from animal factory farming
- Strengthening corporate accountability and local food governance
IGCAT’s President expressed her strong support for these proposals, which align with IGCAT’s mission to promote diverse, sustainable, and culturally rooted food systems through our work with the World Regions of Gastronomy Platform.
Dr. Diane Dodd noted that “as collaborators with Slow Food, we continue to champion food sovereignty, agrobiodiversity, and policies that prioritise local producers and ecosystems.”
Read the Executive summary available in Spanish, French, and German
For further inquiries or interviews, contact:
Alessia Pautasso – a.pautasso@slowfood.it | (+39) 342 8641029
Alice Poiron – a.poiron@slowfood.it | (+32) 473 77 07 39
