Society’s current consumption behaviour is being held responsible for environmental and health catastrophes like global warming and the prevalence of obesity. Even if individual initiatives for change show up as efficient and immediate solutions, in the grand picture, the union of these small actions is still not sufficient. The EIT Food SUCCESS project addresses the increasingly critical environmental and health challenges by transforming consumer shopping habits to be more sustainable beyond the individual level. Funded by EIT Food, the SUCCESS project combines the expertise of its partner organisations Rikolto, Ghent University, Food Bank Olsztyn, VTT, and EUFIC. Together, they collaborate with retailers across Europe to make sustainable shopping mainstream by focusing on consumer-facing retail initiatives promoting plant-based foods and reducing food waste.
EIT Food SUCCESS follows three strategies to encourage a shift in consumer behaviour beyond individual responsibility:
- Consumer awareness and education: Through targeted communication, the project aims to increase consumer knowledge and promote sustainable choices by showcasing practical behaviours, retail initiatives, and supportive food environments in Belgium, Poland, and Finland.
- Citizen engagement and co-creation: Recognising the role of citizens as active food agents, EIT Food SUCCESS invites consumers to engage directly with retailers to redesign food environments in support of sustainable practices. Citizens are encouraged to share their perspectives through workshops, a citizen-driven database of sustainable initiatives, which highlights supermarket efforts toward sustainability.
- Retailer support and learning network: By working closely with retailers, the project encourages them to adjust store environments to make sustainable choices more accessible. Behavioural intervention experiments led by Ghent University and VTT test these changes, building evidence on consumer impact and creating a learning network to expand successful interventions across Europe.
Ultimately, EIT Food SUCCESS aims to inspire both consumers and retailers to create lasting positive change in the food system, driving Europe closer to a future-proof, sustainable food culture.
Discover more about the SUCCESS project by clicking here.