Chiara Cerbone

Evolution and Establishment of Urban Policies Against Food Waste in Europe

European cities are increasingly emerging as key actors in the fight against food waste through integrated policies that combine public education, collective catering planning, and infrastructure for the collection and redistribution of surplus food. Local interventions — from awareness campaigns to support for urban redistribution networks — are essential to achieve the 2030 Agenda’s targets on the sustainability of production and consumption systems. This proposed presentation aims to analyse some of the urban policies established in Europe to demonstrate how urban governance and multi‑stakeholder cooperation can transform waste into solidarity and social value.

 

Nicola Bergamaschi

The Nexus between Food Security and Trade Liberalisation in EU Trade Agreements

This presentation provides a legal analysis of the clauses on food security contained in EU trade agreements, with a particular focus on two major recent developments: the inclusion of Sustainable Food Systems chapters in newly concluded or negotiated agreements (such as the EU–New Zealand and EU–Chile agreements), and the incorporation of food security clauses in the Samoa Agreement and in the Economic Partnership Agreement with Kenya.

 

Ludovica di Lullo

Securing Food, Securing Peace? An International Law Perspective on Food Security Threats

While economic factors have long been recognised as primary drivers of food insecurity, the nexus between food insecurity and armed conflict has only recently gained prominence in international discourse. The UN Security Council has acknowledged that armed conflicts contribute to food crises, which in turn threaten the maintenance of international peace and security. Nevertheless, the existing legal framework adopts a narrow approach to food security, overlooking the broader implications of this phenomenon and its interconnected causes and consequences. In this context, the research examines relevant instruments of international security law, with particular focus on UN Security Council practice in sanctions regimes and peacekeeping operations. The analysis reveals emerging attention to guaranteeing access to food not only during armed conflict, but also in pre-conflict and post-conflict phases. By mapping these developments, the study aims to identify gaps in the current framework and assess the potential for more comprehensive legal approaches to conflict-related food insecurity.

 

Luca Romano

The International Protection of the Human Right to Food and Food Sustainability

This presentation analyses the evolution of the international protection of the human right to food, with a particular focus on the emergence of its sustainability dimension. It examines how environmental and sustainable development considerations are progressively integrated into human rights interpretation and practice, especially through the work of international treaty bodies. The intervention reflects on the implications of this evolution for States’ obligations and food systems governance.