Eat4Change - Mobilising youth for sustainable diets

Global food production and consumption generate more than a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions, of which red meat and dairy account for just over half. Particularly in Europe, diets are far from sustainable.

Studies show that a global shift towards healthier, more sustainable diets will combat climate change, improve human health and food security, reduce biodiversity loss and save lives.  

Objectives

“Eat4Change” is a project calling for a shift toward more sustainable diets and food production practices. The project engages European citizens, especially 15 to 35 year olds, to embrace more sustainable diets, influence peers and support engagement with corporates and policy makers.

It highlights global interconnections and dependencies, and demonstrates how individual diets can impact the wellbeing of people and the planet. 

Eat4Change is a project supported by DEAR - the EU's Development Education and Awareness Raising Programme.

Project activities

Eat4Change creates transformation from three angles, working

• to engage with citizens on healthy and sustainable diets
• with food producers and retailers on sustainable agricultural production
• to create an enabling, evidence-based policy environment

Results

Eat4Change highlights plant-based diets and how individual lifestyles can help heal our planet. Over 3 700 educators, school leaders, youth ambassadors, volunteers and young professionals have been empowered to mobilise people around sustainable food systems. Youth had their voices heard during 42 meetings with Members of the European Parliament, in particular to advocate for a law to fight  deforestation. 

Over 670 stakeholders have been engaged and over 55 million European citizens have been reached and influenced about sustainable diets and the impact of dietary choices on global climate goals and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The project has created several tools to support people’s shift towards more sustainable diets, e.g. a food guide application (Sweden), an online food course (Finland, Estonia, Portugal), an e-book with tips and recipes (Belgium), and a food guide showing simple meal swaps (United Kingdom).

It ran a successful social media campaign in Brazil involving local youth and telling their stories in the food business. The project has also produced an educator’s guide to encourage young people to eat sustainably, and other advocacy and learning tools.  

Implementing partners

• Finland: World Wide Fund For Nature, Suomen rahasto sr (lead)
• Austria: AIESEC in Austria and Umweltverband WWF Österreich
• Belgium: World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)- European Policy Programme
• Estonia: Sihtasutus Eestimaa Looduse Fond (WWF)
• France: Fonds Mondial pour la Nature (WWF)
• Greece: World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
• Portugal: Associação Natureza Portugal (WWF)
• Sweden: Stiftelsen Världsnaturfonden (WWF)
• United Kingdom: World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
• Argentina: Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina (WWF)
• Brazil: World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)