This round table, with the participation of the Veblen Institute, is organized by Slow Food International on the occasion of the Terra Madre event, in Turino.

Presentation
Have you ever wondered where your food comes from and how it’s produced? In our globalized world, trade shapes our food systems, creating dependencies and profound socio-economic impacts for both importing and exporting countries. This conference will delve into the often-overlooked dynamics of global food trade, highlighting the double standards in trade relations between the European Union (EU) and the rest of the world.
The EU, the world’s largest trading bloc, imports food from across the globe. Yet, not all imported products must meet the same standards. While the EU promotes green and fair values and strives to ensure high-quality produce for its citizens, its trade policies often tell a different story. This inconsistency harms small and medium-scale farmers in Europe by creating unfair competition and can negatively impact producers in countries that export to the EU.
We must advocate for better policies that address these disparities: policies that support European farmers’ transition to sustainable, agroecological practices, and that ensure European trade agreements do not damage the environment, animal welfare, or the health of people inside and outside the EU Single Market, notably small-scale farmers in the Global South.
A first step could be the adoption of ‘mirror measures’—trade provisions designed to equalize standards between countries with different food safety and production rules. Through case studies and expert insights, this conference will explore how the EU can implement policies that promote health, environmental sustainability, and human rights globally.

Introduced and moderated by: Marta Messa, Secretary-General of Slow Food International

Speakers:
• Karl Bär, Agroeconomist, Member of the German Parliament for the Green Party
• Larissa Mies Bombardi, Geographer, Professor at the University of São Paulo (Brazil), Associate Researcher at CESSMA (France), and Postdoctoral Researcher at the Free University of Brussels (ULB).
• Elodie Clerc, International relations officer-DG AGRI, Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Commission
• Mathilde Dupré, Co-director of the Veblen Institute for economic reform
• John Kariuki, Coordinator of Slow Food in Kenya
• Carmelo Troccoli, Director of Fondazione Campagna Amica, Coldiretti

More information here
Sunday 29 September, 17:30 – 19:00
Terra Madre, Parco Dora (Arena Staino), Turin