About

Inspired by successful international food design festivals, EDIBLE positions food as a powerful lens through which to examine some of today’s most pressing societal challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, cultural identity, migration, public health, technology, and the future of food production. The programme has been carefully designed to create dialogue between stakeholders working across the food value chain—including chefs, farmers, entrepreneurs, food scientists, policymakers, designers, artists, marketers, educators, and civil society organisations—while making these conversations accessible to the wider public.

The conference programme features keynote presentations, panel discussions, debates, artist talks, and collaborative workshops exploring themes such as food and geopolitics, food heritage and identity, women in food, the protein transition, food security, urban food systems, and climate resilience. Rather than presenting these topics solely through academic or policy-based discussions, EDIBLE combines expert knowledge with artistic interventions, allowing audiences to engage with complex issues through visual, sensory, and immersive experiences.

Running alongside the conference is a public exhibition programme featuring internationally recognised food design projects, interactive installations, performances, and participatory artworks. Confirmed exhibitions include Museum of Endangered Foods, Rethinking Money: Seedbills, Food on Mars, and Baskets, each inviting visitors to reflect on the relationship between food, creativity, ecology, economics, and society through playful and thought-provoking experiences.

A central objective of EDIBLE is to remove barriers to participation. Visitors do not require any prior knowledge of food design, contemporary art, or sustainability to engage with the programme. Food is something everyone experiences every day—it connects us through culture, memory, family, and identity. By using shared meals, storytelling, creative participation, and multisensory experiences as entry points, the festival transforms complex global challenges into conversations that are relatable, engaging, and accessible for people of all ages and backgrounds.

The programme extends beyond the conference venues into the city itself through collaborations with Antwerp-based cultural and community partners. Visitors are invited to participate in a Multicultural Tasting Tour through Chinatown and Antwerp North led by Daphne Aalders (Kookatelier FoodForFoodies), exploring the city’s diverse culinary landscape and migrant food cultures. A Rooftop Urban Farming Workshop and Tasting, led by Hannelore Ackermans (Volle Grond), introduces participants to innovative approaches to urban agriculture and local food production. On World Food Day, the festival concludes with the Food Pilgrims Heritage Tasting Walk, a 15 km guided journey from Rupelmonde to Antwerp curated by Jeroen van Vaerenbergh (De Foodarcheoloog), combining food heritage, storytelling, landscape, and sustainable tourism.

Additional activities include mindful cooking workshops at AYU Antwerp, a coCreation Camp exploring the role of smell in food perception hosted by the University of Antwerp, food art exhibitions and performances at Dingen die Niet Verkopen (DDNV), and the immersive ENSEMBLE Food + Art Dinner at Lucy’s Antwerp, where artists and audiences come together around participatory artworks, film screenings, and a shared dining experience.

EDIBLE also collaborates closely with the MAS Museum through its exhibition Antwerp à la Carte, creating meaningful connections between the museum’s exploration of Antwerp’s food history and the festival’s focus on the future of food. This collaboration strengthens the dialogue between heritage and innovation while encouraging audiences to consider how local food cultures continue to evolve.

By combining scientific knowledge, artistic practice, community participation, and shared food experiences, EDIBLE creates an interdisciplinary platform where learning becomes participatory and dialogue becomes experiential. The festival empowers participants not only to better understand the challenges facing contemporary food systems but also to imagine and contribute to more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient food futures.