Freshfel Europe took part today in the first “Food Dialogues” initiative of the European Commission under the leadership of Commissioner Hansen. The “Food Dialogues” are a new platform of exchange among public and private stakeholders and will address challenges of the food chain. The first gathering focused on the upcoming reform of public procurement expected for June 2026. Freshfel Europe, as the voice for the fresh produce sector, highlighted in this high-level platform the urgent need to recognise the essential role of fresh fruit and vegetables in the upcoming reform of public procurement.
Freshfel Europe welcomed the opportunity to participate in the first meeting of the “Food Dialogues”, chaired by European Commissioner Christophe Hansen and Executive Vice President of the Commission Stéphane Séjourné. The platform gathered selected public and private stakeholders to discuss how to re-establish the essential link between farming territories and sustainable food systems across Europe.
The discussion focused on the upcoming reform of food public procurement for food, an area that Freshfel Europe considers as one powerful policy levers available to shape a healthier and more sustainable food landscape. Public procurement represents a market of 33 billion € of food supply, corresponding to around 5% of total food purchased in the EU every year.
With the changing lifestyle and more meals taken away from home, millions of meals are served every day through public procurement systems in schools, hospitals, universities, public administrations, and other public institutions across Europe. The choices made within these systems have a direct impact on citizens’ health, long-term consumption patterns and the sustainability of Europe’s food system.
During the exchange, Philippe Binard, General Delegate of Freshfel Europe, stressed: “Public procurement is one of the most powerful policy tools to shape food supply criteria. Through their food purchases, public institutions can influence not only what people eat but also the dietary habits and health outcomes of future generations”.
Public procurement can play a strategic importance to support the transition toward healthier diets and stronger agricultural connections with European territories. Fruit and vegetables are uniquely positioned to play a central role in this transition. Among all food groups, they deliver one of the strongest combinations of health benefits and low environmental impact. Increasing their consumption is widely recognised as one of the most effective strategies to prevent non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes and certain cancers, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions and environmental pressure for the benefit of the planet.
Current public procurement practices often remain largely driven by price, shelf life and logistical simplicity. This creates a structural imbalance where ultra-processed foods can gain a competitive advantage over fresh and healthier options.
Philippe Binard stated: “Public procurement systems too often favour foods that are easier to store and cheaper to handle rather than those that deliver the greatest value for public health and sustainability. If the EU wants to accelerate the transition toward healthier diets, strict procurement criteria must be set to better reflect in food purchases the value of nutritional quality, sustainability and long-term societal benefits”.
Freshfel Europe therefore called for clearer and more explicit sustainable criteria promoting fruit and vegetables within future EU public procurement. One practical and impactful approach would be the introduction of a “half-the-plate” principle in public catering, in line with dietary recommendations, where the sustainability performance of meals would be rewarded. This approach would incentivise caterers to prioritise fresh and unprocessed food and reduce reliance on ultra-processed products.
Freshfel Europe reminded during the meeting that fruit and vegetables are among the food categories best reflecting some of the guidelines designed for the upcoming reform. Fresh produce might match several ambitions identified by the Commission and JRC (Joint Research Center) for more sustainable food procurement tenders with seasonal and natural food, organic production, and short supply chains delivered by SMEs. This could help strengthen local agricultural economies, an objective that fruit and vegetables widely contribute.
Philippe Binard also highlighted: “Strengthening the role of fruit and vegetables in public procurement delivers multiple benefits at once. It improves public health, reduces environmental impacts, supports sustainable agriculture and strengthens Europe’s food resilience. Few policy instruments can deliver such a wide range of societal benefits”.
Freshfel Europe also encouraged public authorities to address food environments beyond traditional catering by improving the offer in vending machines and snack areas within public institutions, where ultra-processed products currently dominate. Introducing fresh fruit and minimally processed snacks would help create healthier everyday food environments for citizens.
Public procurement must deliver public goods, and fruit and vegetables are among the food categories that best match this public good function. To be successful, the transformation should go much beyond fixing more sustainable criteria for food public procurement. A much broader policy reshape will also be necessary to create a supportive food business environment. Policies across agriculture, food, nutrition, health, education and fiscal frameworks will need to work together to ensure the competitiveness of the fruit and vegetable sector and enable it to deliver at scale.
To be successful, the “Food Dialogues” should be transformative rather than symbolic. It should drive the necessary steps towards food systems that are more sustainable, and where fresh produce has a major role to play, being part of the solution to societal concerns. Europe does not have a food production issue. It has a food quality issue and an uncontrolled health issue that could partially be addressed in this upcoming reform.
As previously warned by Freshfel Europe, the cost of inaction is enormous. “By setting clear sustainability criteria for public procurement in food services and vending, the EU can transform public food systems into a powerful catalyst for healthier diets, more sustainable agriculture and a more resilient European food system,” Philippe Binard concluded.