Sustainable food systems and consumer food choice – Knowledge and implications for industry, research and policy

The world is facing several sustainability challenges related to, for example, climate change, environmental degradation, biodiversity losses, food insecurity and unhealth among people. This also regards our food systems. Production and distribution of food are tightly connected with how, what and where we eat.

Food production and its impacts is a mirror to our consumption and food behaviour.

Nationally as well as internationally there is an increasing awareness of the necessity and urgency to act for transforming the food systems in a sustainable direction. This is evident in many adopted policy decisions, plans and strategies at different levels.

In Sweden the national food strategy, in the EU the recently approved European Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy, and in the UN through the global sustainability goals.

The proposed project analyses and synthesises knowledge reviews related to consumer behaviour, food choice and sustainability.

The state-of-the-art in this area is compiled departing from the following questions: 1) What influences consumer food choice and how? 2) What drives changes in consumers’ food behavior? and 3) How can various actors (industry stakeholders, research and policy actors) contribute to a more sustainable and competitive food system from a consumer perspective?

An active and merited reference group consisting of different actors in the food system participates in the project to assure that the results are down to earth and applicable.