To Improve Food System Sustainability, Shift Focus Away From Individual Responsibility, Says New Study

A new policy paper by Agora Agriculture and IDDRI suggests that shifting focus from individual responsibility to demand-side food policies could improve food system sustainability in Europe. The paper highlights successful examples of demand-side policies in various European countries, such as Sweden's free school meals with health criteria, Denmark's support for plant-based foods, and the UK's soft drink levy to address childhood obesity. The authors argue that EU-level action is necessary to coordinate and support the development of demand-side measures across member states.

The report points out that demand-side policies are currently underdeveloped at the EU level and in member states, with a lack of coordination across key areas like environment, health, and social policy. The authors propose that national food strategies could be a promising tool for tailoring demand-side measures to each country's context. They also suggest that EU policy could provide regulatory measures, such as a common labelling framework and incentives for governments to strengthen demand-side food policies.