Four EU-funded projects join forces for second joint webinar on food system preparedness
On 3 July 2026, four European research and innovation projects SecureFood, DEFENSEFOOD, ACT4FOOD and the EFF-CoP: European Food Fraud Community of Practice, came together for the second webinar in a joint series dedicated to strengthening food system security through enhanced resilience, preparedness, and threat anticipation.
The online event brought together researchers, practitioners and stakeholders from across Europe for an insightful and interactive session. Under the title “Advancing Food System Security: From Early Signals to Systemic Resilience”, the webinar explored how early signals, emerging risks, and innovative security approaches can support more resilient and better-prepared food systems.
The webinar was jointly organised by the four EU-funded projects, continuing a collaborative effort to address the increasing complexity of risks affecting Europe’s food systems.
Building on the first joint webinar
This second edition followed the successful inaugural webinar held in March 2026, which gathered experts from across Europe to examine the impacts of food fraud, cybersecurity threats, food system resilience, and chemical, biological, and radiological (CBR) risks on food security.
The strong engagement and exchange of knowledge during the first event highlighted the value of continued cross-sector collaboration to address emerging and interconnected threats. Participants emphasised the importance of integrated approaches to strengthen preparedness and resilience across the food system.
From reactive response to anticipatory resilience
Food systems are increasingly exposed to interconnected risks that affect food availability, safety, integrity, and public trust. As these risks become more complex and dynamic, there is a growing need to move beyond reactive crisis management towards proactive monitoring, early warning, and resilience-building approaches.
The webinar showcased how EU-funded research and innovation projects are contributing to this shift by developing methodologies, frameworks, and tools that enhance preparedness across the entire food supply chain.
Through presentations and discussion, participants explored how food system actors can better anticipate emerging threats and strengthen their ability to respond before disruptions escalate into crises.
Key topics discussed
The session highlighted complementary perspectives across several critical areas, including:
- Food system resilience and preparedness
- Early signals, early warning, and threat anticipation
- Food fraud prevention and system integrity
- Cybersecurity and cyber-physical risks in food systems
- Emerging food safety and food defence challenges
- Systemic vulnerabilities and preparedness gaps
- Cross-sector collaboration and policy relevance
SecureFood contribution: resilience management in practice
During the webinar, SecureFood partner Anna Vetsou from EMPRACTIS presented the Food System Resilience Management Framework, which supports the transition from reactive crisis response to anticipatory resilience management.
The framework provides structured guidance for stakeholders at both national and food actor level, supporting:
- Understanding and defining resilience in context
- Assessing risks and identifying critical system components
- Strengthening preparedness through targeted measures
- Supporting continuous monitoring and improvement
It combines organisational, technical, and operational measures to enable a comprehensive and practical approach to resilience across food systems.
Interactive discussion and next steps
Following the presentations, participants engaged in an interactive discussion supported by live polling, focusing on the most significant threats to food security and priority areas for action. The exchange enabled participants to identify complementarities between approaches, highlight existing gaps, and reflect on future research and policy priorities. The webinar concluded with an open question-and-answer session with project representatives and experts.
Strengthening collaboration across Europe
This second joint webinar reinforced the importance of collaboration between research projects, practitioners, and policymakers in addressing the evolving challenges facing Europe’s food systems. SecureFood, together with the projects we are collaborating with, remains committed to supporting innovative and practical solutions that enhance food system security and resilience across Europe.
