Funding Programme

Horizon Europe is the EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation.

Read more about the Horizon Europe programme here.

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Call overview

This call aims to contribute to creating a sustainable food labelling framework to empower consumers to make sustainable food choices.

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Expected outcomes

This topic is in line with the European Green Deal priorities and the farm to fork strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system, as well as of the EU's climate ambition for 2030 and 2050. This will contribute to the Food 2030 priorities: nutrition for sustainable healthy diets, climate, biodiversity and environment, circularity and resource efficiency, innovation and empowering communities and thriving businesses.

This topic contributes to creating a sustainable food labelling framework to empower consumers to make sustainable food choices as part of the farm to fork strategy.

Projects results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes:

• Enhanced understanding of the status of consumer information expectations/needs (conscious and unconscious) related to all three dimensions of sustainability and its drivers and challenges, including the influence of external factors and socio-cultural aspects;
• Identified best means of transmission and presentations of sustainability related information to guide and change consumer behaviour.

Scope

The sustainability food labelling framework can help consumers in making sustainable food choices. An improved understanding of the drivers of food choices and the role of sustainability can support in using EU and national policy makers and government actions and funds most efficiently and using the best approaches^[1]. Information itself may not be enough to change citizens’ perception and actions, it should be addressed “in the right way” (emotional cues…etc.) and consider their current knowledge and information needs. Citizens’ food choices, although frequently characterized as a matter of personal choice, are subjective largely by food environments^[2] and there is a need to understand the influence of marketing and media as part of the environment, sometimes creating adverse effects^[3].

Proposals are expected to address the following:

• Analyse the impact of different influential factors, such as norms/beliefs/cultural environments as well as medias and their way of communicating on the consumer understanding of sustainability, emotional beliefs and response to sustainability information including issues of trust and reliability;
• Analyse the status of consumer information expectations/needs (conscious and unconscious) related to sustainability and understand how sustainability related information expectations/needs can be increased/developed as well as their drivers and challenges;
• Test different means of transmission (including different actors sharing information (private vs public)) and presentations of sustainability related information to guide and change consumer behaviour best (including increased willingness to pay for sustainable products and services);
• Test the response of the public to information related to at least two dimensions of sustainability, including aspects that cover the whole food chain, such as for example biodiversity, packaging or composting, locally produced products;
• Proposals should include a dedicated task, appropriate resources and a plan on how they will collaborate with other projects under the topic HORIZON-CL6-2024-GOVERNANCE-01-3: The role of mainstream media, social media and marketing in fostering healthy and sustainable consumption patterns and how to encourage good practice or incentives”;

Proposals are encouraged to cooperate with actors such as the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC). The JRC may provide expertise on how to strengthen the relationship between scientists and European policy makers and to promote research and collaboration on food systems science.

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Eligibility

To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:

• the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions;
• the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States;
• eligible non-EU countries including countries associated to Horizon Europe and low- and middle-income countries.

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Consortium composition

Unless otherwise provided for in the specific call conditions, legal entities forming a consortium are eligible to participate in actions provided that the consortium includes:

• at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State; and
• at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries.

Proposals must implement the 'multi-actor approach' and ensure adequate involvement of citizens and civil society, together with social innovators, planners, social scientists, communication and marketing experts and public authorities to develop new methods and approaches to innovation. This topic should involve the effective contribution of SSH disciplines.

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Budget

The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 6.50 million.

The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of around EUR 6.50 million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately.