The Food Drink Partnership Days will take place in Brussels from 24-27 February 2026 with thought-provoking discussions to shape the future of our food systems.

The Partnership Days are hosted by FoodDrinkEurope, representing the 310,000 enterprises that make up Europe’s largest manufacturing sector and employs more than 4.8 million people.

Spanning three days, we’re talking about the big issues for our food systems – food chain fairness, food processing and diet, and benchmarking sustainability. We’re putting on three high-level discussions with European Commissioners, food and drink CEOs, Members of European Parliament, Member State representatives, and other leading experts in their field.

PROGRAMME

**Physical attendance is invitation only but you can watch the discussion on-demand after the event**

Tuesday, 24 February

11:00-12:30: The Business Case for a Fairer Food Chain – roundtable – A closed-door, high-level roundtable moderated by MEP Paulo Cabral to discuss the business case for fairness in the food supply chain with food and drink makers and farmers.

18:00-20:00: FoodDrinkEurope’s evening reception – Join FoodDrinkEurope’s evening network reception to kick off the Food Drink Partnership Days — three days of dynamic dialogues on food chain fairness, healthy diets, and sustainability. With a keynote address by Agri-Food Commissioner Christophe Hansen.

Wednesday, 25 February

07:45-09:30: Morning Matters – Nordic Breakfast in Brussels – Start your day the Nordic way with a tasty breakfast and an energising morning discussion on how food and drink companies across the Nordic region are innovating to produce new and healthier alternatives for consumers. Discover the strong Nordic tradition for public-private partnership and best-practice to achieve these goals.

11:00-12:30: Beyond the “Ultra”: the science behind what we eat – a panel discussion – Hear how food processing can help consumers lead healthier and more sustainable diets

Meet our speakers:

Nashmil Emami (Head of Applied Nutrition, Chief Nutritionist R&D, Nestlé)
Dr. Marlou Lasschuijt PhD (Assistant Professor in Clinical Eating Behaviour, Nutrition and Physiology, Wageningen University & Research)
Luigi Tozzi (Deputy Director, Safe Food EU)
Jessica Polfjärd MEP (TBC)
Lauren Woodley (Head of Nutrition & Sensory Science, Nomad Foods)

COMING SOON: Watch the recording after the event

15:00-16:30: Coffee at the crossroads of EU sustainability and global trade – The roundtable, organised by the European Coffee Federation (ECF), aims to create a direct and informal dialogue between the European coffee sector and the Missions of coffee-producing countries to the EU on how the EU’s rapidly evolving sustainability and trade rules are reshaping global coffee value chains.

18:00-21:00: Agri-food prospects in the coming Irish Presidency – an evening reception – The Irish Presidency will take over the rotating European Council presidency in July 2026. On the occasion of FoodDrinkEurope’s Food Drink Partnership Days, we will invite relevant Irish government and EU stakeholders to share in Irish and European food and drink and look ahead to the Presidency’s priorities for Europe’s agri-food chain.

Thursday, 26 February

08:00-09:30: Gluten-Free Breakfast: why choice matters – About 1 in 100 people are estimated to suffer from coeliac disease in Europe. In recent years, food and drink makers have expanded the range of gluten-free products available on the supermarket shelf. We’ve joined with Specialised Nutrition Europe and the Association of European Coeiliac Societies to show how food and drink makers are providing consumers with more choice than ever before.

11:00-12:30: Measuring Food Sustainability: why it matters and how to get it right – a panel discussion – Explore how to unlock investment, innovation, and impact in Europe — with a particular focus on the need for harmonised sustainability benchmarking to strengthen competitiveness and accelerate the food system transition.