ALLEA Partnered in “Reimagine Food & Agriculture: A Strategic Summit on the Narratives that Shape our Reality”

On 5 June 2025, ALLEA  joined over a hundred experts, policymakers, scientists, and civil society leaders at the “Reimagine Food & Agriculture: A Strategic Summit on the Narratives that Shape our Reality”, hosted at the Palace of the Academies in Brussels by ALLEA member academy KVAB – the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts.

Convened by Re-Imagine Europa and held under the patronage of the European Parliament, the summit addressed a pressing question: How can we move beyond polarised debates and outdated narratives to create sustainable, resilient, and competitive food systems?

The event marked a key moment in shaping Europe’s agricultural and food policy at a time of rising geopolitical instability, climate urgency, and social division. It brought together a diverse coalition of actors, including the European Environmental Agency, European Institute for Agroecology, Environmental Defense Fund, European Food Forum, EU-SAGE, Euroseeds, Bruegel, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation, as well as key EU institutions.

The day was opened by KVAB President Godelieve Laureys, who set the tone for strategic, cross-sector dialogue. Among the summit’s highlights was the participation of Lise Korsten, President of the African Academy of Sciences, who joined the opening panel to share insights on global food security and agricultural policy.

ALLEA contributed to the summit through:

  • A series of expert workshops convened over the past 18 months to depolarise the debate on sustainable food systems, bringing together stakeholders from science, farming, policymaking, and civil society.

  • Ongoing work on genome editing, including ethical, legal, and societal reflections, available here: Genome Editing for Crop Improvement

  • ALLEA’s contribution to the SAPEA evidence review report on sustainable food systems, which informs science-based policy advice within the European Commission’s Scientific Advice Mechanism: SAPEA Report

ALLEA thanks all partners and participants who are helping shape the future of food and agriculture in Europe and beyond.