EGEA 2026 Puts Fruit and Vegetable Demand at the Centre of Food Systems Debate

The tenth EGEA Conference will take place in Montpellier, France, from October 7 to 9, bringing together food system researchers, industry professionals, public institutions and consumer representatives.

Its central question is whether fruit and vegetable consumption recommendations can be achieved within sustainable food systems. The programme places consumers at the centre of that discussion rather than treating production, nutrition and behaviour as separate subjects.

Aprifel created EGEA in 2003 as a forum for multidisciplinary evidence and practical recommendations. The 2026 edition continues that approach by connecting scientific findings with the decisions made by food companies, policymakers and public health organisations.

The conference programme is organised around the structure of food systems, nutrition guidance, environmental impacts, consumer behaviour and the conditions that influence everyday choices. This gives commercial participants a view of both demand barriers and policy direction.

For growers, processors and retailers, the discussion has direct implications. Higher fruit and vegetable consumption depends not only on nutritional advice, but also on availability, affordability, product quality, convenience and the way supply chains respond to changing expectations.

The event also arrives as companies face pressure to substantiate sustainability claims. Sessions that compare health goals with environmental constraints can help distinguish workable changes from messages that overlook production realities or consumer behaviour.

EGEA describes itself as an international meeting point for scientists, professionals, institutions, consumer organisations and civil society. That mix is significant because recommendations are more likely to influence practice when the groups responsible for research, supply and adoption examine the same evidence.

Registration remains open through the conference website. The value of the 2026 meeting will depend on whether its conclusions translate into decisions that make fruit and vegetables easier to produce, distribute and choose, rather than remaining broad statements of intent.