Current dietary patterns of European citizens are not in sync with sustainability and climate neutrality principles. This adds to pressing environmental, economic, and social challenges, including elevated health risks. Endeavours to alter the trend and shift toward healthier and more sustainable diets are not broad enough and often too slow-paced. On a production level, the market share of sustainable food products remains small. On a consumer level, the prevailing intention-action gap means consumer awareness does not always translate into real action.
To address this gap, LIKE-A-PRO will develop a set of governance and market mechanisms aimed at further promoting alternatives to animal-based proteins. We will therefor work with both food stakeholders and consumers to learn their needs and requirements and integrate these into the final project outputs.
The engagement with consumers will take place through living labs led by the CSCP. The living labs will be established across 11 European countries (Norway, Denmark, Finland, The Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Greece, Germany, Spain, Turkey and Italy). The aim is to understand Europeans’ food choices and explore how they are made in different food environments, including inferring the most influential (behavioural) determinants, as well as co-create different governance and market mechanisms that could support the promotion of alternative proteins in the market and in our diets.
The living labs will be composed of four sessions with at least two meetings each. They will be guided by the Consumer Choice Framework, a holistic model that considers various angles to influence consumption patterns:
Lab iteration 1 on Choice Editing: Reducing the availability and accessibility of food choice options that are considered less sustainable and healthy – meetings will take place between April and May 2024
Lab iteration 2 on Choice Expansion: Increasing the availability and accessibility of sustainable and healthier products (e.g., alternative protein products), while keeping other options open as well as deep diving into the modalities of their promotion, especially when new options are novel – meetings will take place between September and November 2024
Lab iteration 3 on Choice Environment: Exploring the creation of favourable food environments for more alternative protein product consumption and the sustainable food choice to take place, often nudging consumers towards the right direction – meetings will take place January – February 2025
Lab iteration 4 on Beyond Choice: Understanding macro influencers of choice (e.g., education, social norms) that go beyond specific point and time of food purchase, but can still impact consumers’ choices – meetings will take place on April-May 2025.
Do you live in any of the LIKE-A-PRO pilot countries and would like to be a part of this ambitious endeavour? Join us as we embark on a journey of discovery, innovation, and positive change.
Reach out to Arlind Xhelili and become a part of the LIKE A PRO Living Labs activities today!
Author: Arlind Xhelili (CSCP)
Image: AI generated with JourneyArtAI