The theme of the 49th AFEAF Congress to be held in Lleida is motivated by the fact that 2023 marks the 25th anniversary of the meeting on ‘Food products of plant origin in the Iron Age in Western Europe: from production to consumption’ held in Girona, Catalonia, in 1998. The future meeting thus offers an excellent opportunity to organise a gathering presenting the latest scientific developments related to research on the Iron Age food economy in Europe (from a broader perspective than agricultural production). The intention is to promote a review of the new bioarchaeological data and the techniques of the last two decades serving the study of the evolution of production and consumption systems in European Iron Age societies. The meeting will also offer the opportunity to review the latest research in progress in all areas of the archaeology of food production and technological innovation regardless of whether they concern inland valleys, mountainous or coastal settlements or the first urban sites.