Food sovereignty and food security sit at the heart of today’s global social and environmental challenges. Around the world, communities struggle not only with access to sufficient and nutritious food, but also with the loss of control over how their food is produced, distributed, and consumed. In Europe, these issues intersect with debates on sustainability, biodiversity, fair trade, and the rights of farmers, workers, and consumers. This course examines food systems through the dual lens of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the food sovereignty movement, linking local experiences to global pathways for achieving zero hunger, reducing inequalities, and promoting sustainable production and consumption.

Over the course, participants will develop a solid understanding of the structural causes of food insecurity, including climate change, market volatility, land concentration, and socio-economic inequality. At the same time, the course explores the concept of food sovereignty as a transformative framework that goes beyond access to food: the right of peoples to define their own food systems. Learners will engage with key policy debates in Europe, examine rights-based approaches to food and agriculture, and analyse innovative initiatives such as agroecology, short food supply chains, community-supported agriculture, and territorial food governance.

By the end of this course, participants will be equipped with the analytical tools and practical insights needed to understand food security as a multidimensional issue and to critically assess policy responses aimed at transforming food systems. Grounded in human rights and aligned with the SDGs, the course encourages learners to envision fair, sustainable, and resilient models that empower communities and protect both people and the planet.