Contemporary food systems in the European Union (EU) are facing interlinked ecological, social, economic, and democratic crises. Environmental degradation, public health challenges, supply chain opacity, and inequalities in access to nutritious food converge to create an urgent need for systemic reform. At the same time, there is increasing recognition that citizens must play an active role in shaping sustainable futures – not merely as consumers, but as co-creators of policy.
This perspective article introduces the concept of food citizenship (FC) as a forward-looking response to these challenges. While FC has been explored in academic and advocacy circles, it remains conceptually fragmented – especially when compared to more established frameworks such as digital or energy citizenship. This fragmentation may help explain its limited recognition in formal EU policymaking. Against this backdrop, I argue that, amid growing momentum for democratic renewal and systemic change, the ideal of food citizenship has the potential to become a key guiding concept in EU food policy. Once conceptually consolidated and strengthened, it can contribute to the emergence of a new policy paradigm oriented toward (more) democratic and sustainable food systems.
To support this shift, drawing on academic and grey literature, empirical examples, and recent EU policy developments, the article proposes a draft framework of principles for food citizenship in policymaking. This preliminary framework is intended to inform further research, institutional experimentation, and policy adoption.
