Policy Events & Media | 05 Jul 2023
Towards sustainable food consumption
SAPEA – Science Advice for Policy by European Academies has published its latest advice on “Towards Sustainable Food Consumption”, containing recommendations for the European Commission on how to improve its policies.
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0To meet the health and sustainability goals, the EU food systems must change.
So far, EU’s focus has been on providing consumers with more information, but that is not enough. People choose food not just through rational reflection, but also based on many other factors: food availability, habits and routines, emotional and impulsive reactions, and their financial and social situation.
Enquired by the Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth and the Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, SAPEA has released the report “Towards sustainable food consumption” that, building on their previous advice on Sustainable Food Systems, will inform the revisions of the Farm to Fork Strategy.
To ensure that EU objectives are meet, EC should implement a mix of incentives, information and binding policies governing all aspects of food production and distribution. Policies should address the whole food environment, anywhere where food is obtained, eaten, and discussed
The evidence emphasizes five key elements:
- Pricing
- Availability and visibility
- Composition
- Labelling
- Social environment
