Food is a Human Right for All European Citizens

Emmaus Europe has joined the European Citizens’ Initiative “Food is a Human Right for All!”. The signature collection has officially opened on 7 January.

The Initiative calls on the European Union to recognise food as a fundamental human right through binding legislative measures, guaranteeing access for all people living in the EU to adequate, sustainable and dignified food.

Through this European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), all citizens signatories invite the European Commission to:

• recognise food as a fundamental human right within EU policies and legislation;
• move beyond emergency-based and assistance-oriented approaches to food access;
• ensure dignified, adequate and sustainable food for all people living in the European Union;
• strengthen policy coherence across agriculture, social, health and environmental policies in relation to the right to food.

What is a European Citizens’ Initiative?

An ECI is a participatory democratic instrument provided by EU law that allows citizens to formally invite the European Commission to propose new legislation.

To be considered, an ECI must collect at least one million validated signatures from EU citizens across a minimum number of Member States. While the Commission is not obliged to adopt the proposed legislation, it is legally required to examine the Initiative, meet its organisers, and publicly respond to its demands.

Who is behind this initiative, and why is Emmaus Europe mobilising?

The ECI “Food is a Human Right for All!” is supported by the Good Food For All Coalition, a European network of civil society organisations that emerged from the Right to Food Forum held in Geneva in May 2024.

Emmaus Europe is a member of this Coalition which currently brings together more than 240 organisations from across Europe, active in the social, agricultural, environmental and human rights fields. We are working collectively to advance concrete policy proposals for fairer and more sustainable food systems. Emmaus involvement is anchored in our belief that everybody deserves to eat good food. In our communities and in our groups, welcoming people experiencing poverty, we know that access to adequate food is important for a dignified life. We want to make the voice of the people who experienced poverty heard during this campaign. This ECI represents a vital step towards building food systems that serve people and planet, not profit.

We have 1 year from now to collect one million signatures and call on the European Union. Each signature contributes to reaching the threshold required for the Initiative to be formally examined by the European Commission.

How can you support the initiative?

• Sign now: your vote can make a difference;
• Spread the word: share the European Citizens’ Initiative form so others can sign and join the movement.

You can sign below.