To: SUSFANS community
Dear all,
SUSFANS is off to a good start in 2016! And the schedule of activities for the rest of the year 2016 looks very interesting and challenging. We will be taking significant steps towards balanced and encompassing views for improving food and nutrition security outcomes and making food in the European Union more sustainable.
Just today research teams in WP2 have engaged in a fruitful discussion on the determinants of consumer choice and preferences for a more healthy and sustainable diet. Stephan (INRA) presented first empirical results from a lab experiment on the replacement of meat with plant-based substitutes. Harriette and team (LEI-WUR) presented plans for collecting information on motives for sustainable food choice in the four focus countries.
Yesterday Xavier and team from LUKE & INRA explored options with the LEI team for improving the modelling of “better” eating patterns for an entire population. We will get the summary reports of these productive meetings to you in the next week.
Please take a look at the attached calendar of activities for the year.
-Between March and September I expect to submit to the EC a dozen project deliverables, in particular on the topic of how to assess Sustainable FNS, both conceptually and empirically, and on the drivers of European FNS.
-We’ve planned two major project meetings:
On 7-9 March in Oxford we’ll convene WP1 members and the Steering Committee (SC) to finalize the metrics set and define the scope & methods for making them operational, and to discuss WP progress and plans among WP and pillar leaders (guidelines will follow);
On 24-27 October in Brussels we’ll organise the 2nd meeting of the Stakeholder Core Group and a Plenary Project Meeting for all members of the project to discuss a first round of results.
We also encourage smaller work meetings!
-By end of September 2016 we will close the first administrative reporting period.
I sometimes receive requests to contribute with SUSFANS material to platforms that debate dietary choices in relation to food system outcomes. A recent invitation comes from Adrian Leip of the JRC, a SUSFANS contributor, who is also co-chair on the Expert Panel on Nitrogen and Food under ECE. “Recognizing the close interplay between environment and health, the EPNF will in its second phase focus on give increased attention to demonstrating the co-benefits of altered dietary options, considering the interactions with dietary determinants of human health and with food.” Please contact Adrian when you are interested.
Finally, I invite you take a look at our website which contains lots of new material including a first scientific paper, on reformulation: http://susfans.eu/. We ask for your help in keeping our website at par with all the developments in the project. Therefore, any newsworthy suggestions or ideas for improvement are more than welcome!
With best regards,
Also on behalf of the SUSFANS coordination team at LEI,
Thom