6.X.2. Food Insecurity in Europe: Voices from across Europe

Abstract Food insecurity (FI), “lack of regular access to enough safe and nutritious food for normal growth and development and an active and healthy life”, is a global public health issue. The United Nations (UN) have identified achieving food security as a key Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), where all people should “have access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food all year round.” However, disasters related to the consequences of changing climates, pandemics, wars, displacement of populations, high inflation rates, changes in social protection systems, and food system changes challenge the achievement of this SDG. FI persists even in high-income countries including Europe. This workshop session will foster a knowledge, research and experience exchange on the situation of individuals / different population groups in the context of FI in different European countries. Starting with a contribution from Austria, the term food poverty is introduced and considered from a food system perspective / from an equity perspective. The second contribution illuminates the relationships between FI, shopping behaviours and social support among food bank users in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic. The final third contribution comes from the Netherlands and explores the needs and perceptions regarding healthy eating among people at risk of FI. In all three studies, standardized measurement tools were applied to measure FI but recruiting methods and data collection methods varied considerably between and within the studies. The session enhances the knowledge on FI in Europe from different perspectives. Key messages • Food insecurity does exist in Europe: there is a need for regular, consistent monitoring across European countries. • Food insecurity involves more than just access to food; it also considers nutritious and climate-friendly options, addressing the link between climate, health, and equity.