Nicosia, July 1, 2026. Four European research and innovation projects will come together on 3 July 2026 for the second webinar in a joint series dedicated to strengthening food system security through enhanced resilience, preparedness, and threat anticipation.
The online webinar, hosted via Microsoft Teams from 14:00 to 15:30 CEST, will bring together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and stakeholders to discuss how early signals, emerging risks, and innovative security approaches can support the development of more resilient and prepared food systems. The event will showcase complementary perspectives on resilience management, food fraud prevention, cybersecurity, and food defense, highlighting how these approaches can contribute to the security and integrity of Europe’s food sector.
This webinar builds on the success of the first joint event held in March 2026, which brought together experts from across Europe to examine the impact of food fraud, cybersecurity, food system resilience, and chemical, biological and radiological (CBR) threats on food security. The strong engagement and valuable exchanges generated during the inaugural webinar demonstrated the value of continued collaboration across disciplines and sectors to address the evolving challenges facing Europe’s food systems.
Building Resilience Through Early Detection and Preparedness
Food systems are increasingly exposed to a wide range of interconnected threats that can affect food availability, safety, integrity, and public trust. As these risks become more complex and dynamic, there is a growing need for approaches that move beyond reactive responses and towards proactive monitoring, prevention, and resilience-building.
This second joint webinar, titled “Advancing Food System Security: From Early Signals to Systemic Resilience,” will highlight innovative methodologies, frameworks, and tools developed through four EU-funded projects that collectively contribute to safeguarding Europe’s food systems.
Through expert presentations, interactive discussions, and audience engagement, participants will gain insights into how food system actors can better anticipate emerging threats and strengthen preparedness across the entire supply chain.
Participating Projects
The webinar will feature presentations from four EU-funded projects, each providing a unique perspective on food system security:
- SecureFood: Food Systems Resilience Management Framework – Anna Vetsou (EMPRACTIS L.P.)
- EFF-CoP: When All You Have Is a Hammer, Everything Looks Like a Nail: Why Analytical Methods Only Solve Part of the Food Fraud Problem, and What Other Approaches Are Needed – Peter Olsen (NOFIMA)
- ACT4FOOD: Food safety management for digital food industries. Updating HACCP and TACCP with cyber-physical threats – Alberto Garre (Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena)
- DEFENSEFOOD: From Early Signals to Early Warning: Anticipating Emerging Food Safety and Food Defense Threats – Ákos Józwiak (Syreon Research Institute)
Following the project presentations, participants will be invited to contribute to an interactive discussion focused on key challenges facing food system security. Live polls will be used to gather perspectives on the most significant threats to food security and the areas requiring the most urgent action.
The discussion will provide an opportunity to examine complementarities between different approaches, identify remaining gaps, and exchange views on future priorities for research, policy, and practice.
The webinar will conclude with an open question-and-answer session, allowing participants to engage directly with project representatives and experts.
Key Discussion Topics
- Food system resilience and preparedness
- Early signals, early warning, and threat anticipation
- Food fraud prevention and system integrity
- Cybersecurity and cyber-physical risks in food systems
- Emerging food safety and food defense challenges
- Systemic vulnerabilities and blind spots in preparedness
- Cross-sector collaboration and policy relevance
Event Details
Title: Advancing Food System Security: From Early Signals to Systemic Resilience
Date: 3 July 2026
Time: 14:00–15:30 CET
Format: Online https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/c65ecd09-4e96-4f49-b61a-e1aed8355cfa@cb3466f2-4783-4822-a28e-c99ba82641d1
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About ACT4FOOD
ACT4FOOD – Advanced Cybersecurity Tools for Critical Food Supply Chains is a European project funded by the Digital Europe Programme, with a 36-month implementation period, that aims to develop, integrate, and validate advanced cybersecurity solutions to protect critical food supply chains.
The project brings together a multidisciplinary European consortium of 12 partners from 8 countries, including universities and centers of excellence, cybersecurity technology and solution providers, major actors in the agri-food sector, and communication experts. This cross-sectoral collaboration aims to address the challenges brought by digital transformation in the food industry, safeguarding it across the entire “farm-to-fork” chain.
By combining artificial intelligence technologies, secure information exchange mechanisms, and advanced cyber and cyber-physical risk assessment frameworks, ACT4FOOD helps protect food safety, ensure operational continuity, and strengthen consumer confidence. The project also supports the European Union’s objectives of protecting critical infrastructure and strengthening strategic autonomy in cybersecurity applied to the food sector.
ACT4FOOD social media channels:
Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/act4food.eu
Instagram: instagram.com/act4food.eu/
Website: www.act4food.eu/
