We explore factors influencing dietary behaviour and dietary patterns’ health, environmental and socio-economic impacts.PLAN’EAT will co-create data and interventions in a pan-EU network of 9 Living Labs and a Policy Lab. These living labs will focus on a broad range of population groups, varying according to age, culture, health and socio-economic status. PLAN’EAT entails four steps that feed into each other:
- Dietary patterns of 9 different target groups from 9 regions will be mapped together with their food environments.
- Factors and drivers influencing dietary behaviour at macro- (food system), meso- (food environment) and micro- (individual) levels will be deeply investigated.
- For the first time, a True Cost Accounting database and methodology will be developed and applied to dietary patterns, providing integrated insights into the diverse impacts of current and future diets, including possible synergies and trade-offs.
- A solution package will be co-developed with food chain actors, consumers and policymakers, including a Food System Dashboard, setting out context-specific food policy recommendations; interventions targeting Farm to Fork actors, for farmers, food industries, retailers and food services to create suitable food environments; advisory tools to empower consumers; and improved dietary advice and communication strategies to target populations at large.
PLAN’EAT will allow for realizing a transition of 58500 consumers to healthier and sustainable dietary patterns by 2032, reducing premature mortality by 20% and greenhouse gases emissions of local food supply chains by 23% in 39 areas.
In the European context, ESSRG is coordinating the creation of 10 Living Labs (Living Labs in 9 different countries and a Policy Lab in Brussels) and supports their organic development and continuous involvement in the various activities of PLAN’EAT. We are also part of the macro level analyses, where, together with other partners we will analyse the main clusters of underlying drivers that affect the European food system, such as the role of innovation technology and infrastructure and political, economic, commercial and socio-cultural, etc. drivers. Looking at the meso level of food systems, our team is also responsible for co-designing a cooperative research framework for mapping food environments in all 9 Living Labs. Here, we are aiming to gain a deeper understanding about the food environment of 9 different beneficiary groups in Europe and how the different food environments are experienced by participants and influence their dietary behaviour.
In the Hungarian context, we are co-creating a Living Lab with the purpose of shifting towards healthier dietary patterns, with both people and the planet in mind. In the first part of the project, we are cooperating with single-parent families to understand what could help them in eating in a way that improves their health and well-being and is in harmony with the natural environment. In the second part of the project, we will co-design interventions with the families and implement them with the support of the municipality of Budapest.