Improve our understanding on role of consumer in Food System Transitions (KB-35-102-003)

Sustainability issues in the food system require solutions. At present, there’s still only a limited understanding of the role of consumers in the system as a whole. This is particularly true in LMICs, where there’s a whole other set of drivers, forces and opportunities in play. In this project, we want to develop a broader and more inclusive understanding of how consumers fit into the food system in LMICs.

The world as a whole is facing some very urgent sustainability issues. The current food system, and the role of consumers within it, are very important aspects of this and may, therefore, also be part of the solutions. At present, we don’t yet fully understand the role of consumers within the complexity of the entire food system. This knowledge gap is even greater when it comes to low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Science and practice tend to address these issues from a Western perspective. In this project, we aim to take an inclusive approach and draw on insights from local partners to develop our knowledge and understanding of the role of the consumer in the food system as a whole, as a way of moving towards more sustainable food systems. In WP1, we will carry out a literature review so that we can pull together existing knowledge from a range of different sources and outline the most prominent and promising drivers of consumer behaviour in the specific context of LMICs. We will draw on the existing knowledge and expertise of local partners for this. Then, in WP2, we will come up with an overview of relevant drivers and forces that exert an influence on consumers across the food system as a whole, using two specific case studies, such as South Africa and India. This will result in an overview featuring specific contextual examples of relevant drivers and forces in the food system as a whole for LMICs. Finally, in WP3 we will work on tools to advance our understanding of essential knowledge and insights in relation to consumers in the food system, and of how these can contribute to interventions aimed at achieving a more sustainable food system.