Food poverty is a growing threat to Europe with over 1/5 of the population, around 94.6 million people, at risk of poverty or social exclusion, and with nearly 1 in 10 unable to afford a meal with protein - meat, fish or a vegetarian equivalent - every second day.
At a recent event in the European Parliament, policy-makers discussed how to increase access to affordable and healthy food, notably by harnessing the ‘foodtech’ already pioneered by industry leaders. With the right digital tools, businesses can redistribute nutritious meals to those who need them or better manage stocks and in doing so, can cut down on the colossal levels of food waste in Europe.
These include the event’s co-organiser Edenred, who for over 60 years helped improve access to healthy meals. In opening the breakfast event, its COO Arnaud Erulin showcased the Edenred meal voucher system. These vouchers, accessible through a card, are designed to be used for meals and ready-to-eat food in restaurants, bakeries, and supermarkets. The concept has reached over 60 million users across 45 countries, and the company is now partnering with the World Food Program to encourage donations through their app.
MEP Dimitris Tsiodras, host of the event, began by highlighting the paradox between food waste and food poverty. “The EU generates over 59 tonnes of food waste a year equating to 132kg per inhabitant. Yet over 42 million people currently go without a quality meal every second day” he said. MEP Tsiodras called for the EU to strengthen its economic resilience, invest in sustainable agriculture, diversify trade partnerships, and support innovation in the agri-food sector.
Martin Caraher, Professor of Food and Health Policy at City St George’s University of London, pointed out that the UK is bracing for a 10–15% increase in food-insecure households within the next three months. To combat this, local foodtech organisations are planning to harness the power of ‘nudge theory’.
“We have the opportunity to empower future generations that we shouldn’t miss”
MEP Manuela Ripa (Germany, EPP)
Caraher explained that every time a citizen walks into a supermarket or orders online, they’re being subtly nudged, by layout, pricing, and even shelf placement, toward certain decisions. “Why not harness this same behavioural economics to promote healthier eating, less waste, and more sustainable food systems?” By 2030, Caraher predicted, QR codes on packaged food will replace barcodes entirely, ushering in an era where a scanned label reveals not just nutritional info, but cooking tips, sustainability stats, and interactive feedback.
Other consumer experts on the panel agreed. Luminita Feyer, from the Romanian Pro Consumers Association, highlighted the urgent need to transform food systems from a consumer’s perspective. She emphasized that today’s food environments do not empower citizens, but instead mislead them through aggressive marketing, pricing strategies, and product placement that limit real choice and contribute to poor health and environmental damage. She called for stricter regulation on food marketing, especially targeting children, plus mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labelling to guide informed choices.
Greater use of digital tools can also encourage restaurants to stay competitive. EU-backed initiatives under Horizon Europe are already allowing restaurant owners to prioritise investment in staff, sustainability, and technology, the very pillars that can secure their future.
Marine Thizon of HOTREC, the Association of Hotels, Restaurants & Cafés in Europe, claimed the biggest challenge to food access is labour. “Since the pandemic, the industry has lost around 10% of its workforce. Despite raising wages and offering more flexible schedules, restaurants are still struggling to recruit and retain staff, especially for roles requiring specialised skills.”
“If we want to preserve Europe’s rich culinary heritage and support the small businesses at its heart, we must act now. That means reforming VAT to level the playing field between in-house dining and takeaway, improve SMEs access to financing, and use digital tools to recruit and retain staff, including older workers.”
Alejandro Fenandez de Mera of digitalisation consulting firm Barrabes.biz agreed in that “digitalization isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about preserving culture, creativity, and community. “ It’s about making sure the local bistro, the neighbourhood trattoria, and the corner café don’t get left behind in the rush toward modernization.
The second half of the event focused on the highly relevant yet stark contrast between food security and the shocking levels of food waste in Europe. Erulin began by referring to the FOOD barometer results, a survey ran every year by Edenred to assess workers and restaurants’ behaviour regarding healthy eating, food waste, digitalisation and purchasing power. The 2024 results revealed 80% of workers are increasingly concerned about healthy eating, and 95% are worried about food waste.
Mamar Merzouk, Deputy Director of the World Food Programme’s office in Brussels highlighted the severity of the current global food crisis, with over 750 million people hungry and 2.8 billion unable to afford nutritious diets. With 350 million people expected to face acute food insecurity in 2025, he called for innovative partnerships between the public and private sectors.
Such partnerships could allow for greater education within food banks themselves. Tomas Prouza of the Czech Trade and Tourism Association and Vice-President of Eurocommerce, speaking on behalf of retailers argued, “It’s not enough to give people food, we must also teach them how to use it. When unfamiliar vegetables like aubergines started appearing in food bank donations, many recipients didn’t know how to cook them. Simple cooking guides and recipes can change that, empowering people with skills for life.”
By addressing the twin topics of food security and waste, the EU can ensure that health and affordability will be central to future agri-food policy. The panellists could all agree on this.
Closing the event, MEP Manuela Ripa said legislations should do more to help consumers and parents make informed, healthy food choices, through clearer labelling, with more accessible information.
She also called for tax incentives for healthier food options, and structural reforms to make healthy eating accessible to all. “The legislative framework for sustainable food system should consider mandatory requirements for sustainable public food, together with educational programs within our schools,” she argued. “We have the opportunity to empower future generations that we shouldn’t miss.”
This is where harnessing the power of private sector’s digital tools alongside public sector collaboration could be a gamechanger for the European consumer today and generations to come.
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