On 28 January, the European Food Forum (EFF) will explore one of the most timely questions facing Europe’s food system: how to build trust in protein diversification across the entire value chain.
Protein diversification – bringing together plant, animal, and novel proteins as complementary solutions – offers significant opportunities for farmers, consumers, industry, and the environment. However, progress depends on trust among all actors, from consumers and farmers to producers, retailers, researchers, and policymakers.
EuroCommerce will be represented by Els Bedert, Director, Product Policy & Sustainability, who will speak during Panel 1: Building Trust with Consumers.
The event will be hosted by MEP Biljana Borzan, Member of the EFF Steering Committee, Standing Rapporteur for Food Safety, and European Parliament Negotiator for the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). It will be moderated by Marin Vandamme, Co-Founder of The Protein Project.
By bringing together policymakers, farmers, industry leaders, consumer organisations, academia, and civil society, this event will examine what works, what is missing, and how EU policy can help unlock a diversified protein future that is trusted, sustainable, and fit for the future.
Els Bedert
Director, Product Policy & Sustainability
Els works on food, non food and sustainability policies. She focuses on farm to fork and has led the sectors positioning on official controls, food safety, organic production, market surveillance, chemical regulation and more. Els is a Belgian national and alumna of Ghent University. She speaks Dutch, English and French.