Europe’s food systems face big challenges — from climate change and environmental pressures to unequal access to healthy food. New research highlights two ways the system could transform: one focuses on shifting to alternative proteins through innovation and environmental incentives, while the other aims to ensure everyone can access healthy, local, and nutrient-rich food through education and community-led action.
Valentina Guerrieri, Researcher at the Environmental Change Institute (ECI), contributed to the study, which drew on insights from an international workshop with researchers, policymakers, and practitioners. The team explored how changes in production, consumption, governance, and markets could create a more sustainable and fair food system.
Across both pathways, the research emphasises the need for coordinated policies, strong food knowledge, reliable data, and inclusive decision-making.
Futures Wheel - Food Value Chain
Valentina Guerrieri said:
Transforming Europe’s food systems is a complex and uncertain process that cannot be reduced to a single environmental fix or policy instrument. Our research shows that lasting change depends on combining multiple pathways and aligning environmental ambition with fairness, affordability, inclusive governance and food system education, so that healthier and more sustainable food becomes the easy choice for everyone.”
The research draws on insights from an international workshop involving researchers, policymakers, and practitioners, combining scenario thinking, systems analysis, and participatory design to explore how change may unfold across production, consumption, governance, and market domains.
The study is published as Volume I of the series An Exploratory Research Journey on the EU Green Transition and marks the first instalment of a broader investigation into systemic transformations across food systems, urban environments and green innovation.
Read the full report in the JRC Publications Repository: Transforming Food Systems – An Exploratory Research Journey on the EU Green Transition