Created by Aprifel in 2003, EGEA is a unique international conference that brings together all relevant stakeholders and draws on multidisciplinary knowledge to make recommendations for changes in practice and policy. The 10th edition of EGEA will focus on an essential question: Can dietary recommendations for fruit & vegetable intake be met within sustainable food systems? This event will be held in Montpellier from 7 to 9 October 2026 and will be co-chaired by Boitshepo Bibi Giyose (FAO) and Joël Doré (INRAE). Two hundred and fifty participants are expected.
Given the impact of our lifestyles on the planet and the rise in chronic diseases, accelerating the transition to sustainable food systems is more than ever a priority (FAO, 2021). To protect human health and reduce our impact on the planet, one of the key solutions is to move towards diets that give more prominence to plant-based foods, particularly fruit & vegetables (Harris et al., 2022). While the challenge is clear and widely recognised, the feasibility of such a transition can only be considered through the lens of consumers, taking into account the multiple barriers – economic, cultural, social and environmental – that influence food choices.
Therefore, for its 10th edition, the EGEA conference will focus on a critical and timely question: Can dietary recommendations for fruit & vegetable intake be met within sustainable food systems?
EGEA 2026: placing consumers at the heart of the food transition
To answer this question, the new edition of EGEA will adopt a comprehensive “food systems” perspective, placing consumers at the heart of the discussions.
The objectives of the 2026 edition are therefore as follows:
- Examine the potential health, environmental, social and economic impacts of achieving fruit & vegetable consumption recommendations;
- Showcase contributions from multiple disciplines – including social sciences, technology and public policy – that offer new tools and levers to support the consumer transition;
- Present innovative international projects that aim to re-imagine food environments from production to consumption;
- Discuss key challenges and future perspectives for achieving nutritional recommendations within sustainable food systems, and address the responsibilities of all stakeholders.
Reflecting Aprifel’s missions, a final roundtable discussion organised with consumer associations will give consumers, scientists and decision-makers an opportunity to exchange their views.
An international conference bringing together 250 experts and stakeholders interested in health, nutrition and sustainable food
The EGEA 2026 conference will give a voice to experts from a variety of backgrounds and will focus on examining the diversity of food systems and consumption patterns around the world.
True to the “From Science to Action” slogan, which perfectly sums up the spirit of the EGEA Conferences, this 10th edition aims to facilitate and encourage the transformation of scientific knowledge into tangible interventions, actions and policies for the benefit of healthy and sustainable food accessible to all.
Registration and the call for abstracts for the EGEA 2026 Conference will open shortly. Two hundred and fifty participants – including scientists, policy makers, civil society representatives and economic stakeholders – are expected in Montpellier from 7 to 9 October 2026.
Created by Aprifel in 2003, EGEA brings together all relevant stakeholders – including scientists, professionals, institutional partners and consumer and civil society representatives – and draws on multidisciplinary knowledge. The aim is to make science-based practical recommendations to drive changes in practices and policies. The first editions of EGEA mobilised the international scientific community to showcase the place of fruit & vegetables in a Mediterranean diet, recognised for its health benefits, in particular with regard to chronic diseases. Over the years, these conferences have opened up to other fields (economics, sociology, public policy, etc.) related to fruit & vegetable consumption. The consensuses reached during the EGEA Conferences have played an active role by guiding, for example, European policy on the implementation of the School Fruit Scheme, a large-scale European programme promoting the consumption of fruit & vegetables at school.
