FoodDiplomacy Network contributed an opening intervention and closing synthesis to the session called

Food systems are at the centre of some of the most consequential geopolitical challenges of our time — from the war in Ukraine to climate disruption, trade fragmentation and questions of national sovereignty. Yet the international spaces where food is discussed remain largely technical, ill-equipped for the political conversations that the moment requires. The FoodDiplomacy Network exists to change that. The FoodDiplomacy Network is an independent platform for strategic dialogue, thought leadership and governance experimentation at the intersection of food systems and international relations. It brings together governments, international institutions, researchers, civil society organisations and the private sector — not to negotiate formal agreements or deliver programmes, but to think across silos, surface what formal settings cannot, and develop the ideas and governance approaches that a new era of food diplomacy demands. Our work focuses on three interconnected streams: strategic dialogue in trusted, off-the-record settings; thought leadership that reframes how food is understood in global politics; and governance experimentation that tests new forms of coordination in practice. The FoodDiplomacy Network was founded by Dr. Stefanos Fotiou, a sustainability and and international policy practitioner with over two decades of experience across the United Nations system, including UNEP, UNESCAP and FAO. It is built around an Initiators' Circle of senior leaders from across governments, international organisations, academia and civil society who contributed to shaping its intellectual and strategic foundations. Visit our website to meet them. The Network is hosted by the European Public Law Organisation (EPLO) and the Agricultural University of Athens.

Founded 2026