For the first time, the European Commission is working towards a Communication on Sustainable Food. An important milestone in the move towards a more resource-efficient food system; Slow Food is actively encouraging the initiative, as well as the efforts of the Commission to open up the debate on this topic.

To enable an exchange of views between civil society and representatives from EU institutions at this crucial moment in discussions, Slow Food organized a conference in the European Parliament in Brussels. Held on November 28, under the patronage of Parliament Vice-President Isabelle Durant, the conference explored food sustainability in the context of current EU policies, and how to ensure a more coherent and integrated approach in the future. A diversity of speakers presented their views in a panel discussion. Carlo Petrini, founder of Slow Food, closed the event, calling on policy makers to take a more holistic view of the food system, and to make sustainability a top priority.

After the event, Slow Food invited members of the European institutions to demonstrate their commitment to food sustainability with a symbolic act: Participants were encouraged to nominate an endangered food product (strongly linked to the culture, history and tradition of their country) to the Slow Food catalog of products at risk of extinction – the Ark of Taste. Their nominations added to the current list of over 1000 products from around the world.

http://www.slowfood.com/sloweurope/eng/news/203433/carlo-petrini-speaks-at-the-european-parliament