GreenGrocer WP3

Actor-Level Footprinting

Here we

identify high-impact consumer and producer groups in EU food systems otherwise ignored by national-scale food system footprinting,
assess the trade-offs of sustainable EU food transition pathways from a multi-actor perspective, and
quantify environmental gains of scaling novel food solutions (WP4) within the EU.

Objectives

This WP aims to address SO1, SO2, and SO5. We do this by (i) identifying high-impact consumer and producer groups in EU food systems otherwise ignored by national-scale food system footprinting, (ii) assessing the trade-offs of sustainable EU food transition pathways from a multi-actor perspective, and (iii) quantifying environmental gains of scaling novel food solutions (WP4) within the EU.

SO-1 Filling in the incomplete foundations of food footprint data by filling key blindspots

To increase knowledge of the environmental and climate impacts stemming from the food systems, we:

Fill food footprint blind spots of eutrophication, deforestation, marine foods, and antibiotic use.
Increase temporal, regional, subnational and product coverage and specificity of food impact databases.
Standardise production stressor accounts for multi-model application: Material Flow Analyses (MFAs)/ Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs)/Multi-regional Input-output models (MRIOs) and derive a Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) compliant database.
Advance footprinting tools for use in industry and regulation monitoring and goal-setting.

SO-2 Locate and measure socio-economic trade-offs and synergies of a sustainable EU food transition

To identify trade-offs and synergies between environmental considerations and social and economic considerations which are also a major factor along the food supply chain, we:

Evaluate economic trade-offs of sustainable farming in farm-level field trials and tools (~1,000 EU farms).
Conduct deep dives to study and scale innovative food solutions (e.g.cellular agriculture, seaweed).
Assess nutrition of consumer sub-groups in 242 NUTS-2 regions, currently and for future food scenarios.
Conduct workshops and farm trials to assess industry readiness for food production innovations

SO-5 Advance knowledge of the environmental impacts of innovative food supply and transport solutions

To create robust evidence-based understanding of the impacts of food systems and identify and map opportunities and innovative solutions, we:

Increase traceability of food-linked supply chain impacts to better target interventions/solutions.
Evaluate trade methods and routes of all food traded from and to the EU and environmental sustainability.
Demonstrate innovative solutions to freeze products to allow for low-carbon cold chains by land and sea.

Tasks

T1:Integrate actor-level food consumption and production data to FABIO

T2:Benchmark actor-level environmental footprints in European food system

T3:Consumer survey to develop EU food consumption futures for EU contries

T4:Producer survey to develop EU food production storylines of scalable mitigation

T5:Model EU food futures from a multi-actor perspective

T6:Tallying the environmental gains of novel food solutions at scale

Deliverables

2027

D1:Consumer survey report
A report analysing consumer support, opposition, likely uptake and willingness to make trade-offs concerning innovative food solutions across EU countries.

D2:Producer survey data
Survey findings documenting farmers' willingness to adopt sustainable practices and the incentives and support needed to encourage their uptake.

2029

D3:EU food system scenario analysis
A synthesis report modelling EU food transition scenarios to assess environmental reduction potential and trade-offs across consumer and producer groups, including the adoption of novel food solutions.