The European Union (EU) food system has faced new challenges in recent decades that go beyond the traditional focus on agricultural production, food safety and nutrition. Among the most pressing are the environmental and climate impacts of the food system, as well as its resilience to environmental degradation and instability. These challenges are closely linked to food consumption patterns.

Scientists agree that Changing food consumption patterns has significant potential to help address pressing food system challenges, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions. According to 2021 estimates, the food system accounted for 38 % of the climate footprint of total consumption in the EU.

There are two key levers to mitigate the environmental impact of food consumption:

1. Switching to healthier diets by increasing the proportion of plant-based foods in relation to animal foods. This shift also has significant health benefits, including a reduced risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. A plant-based diet also contributes to the EU's strategic autonomy by reducing its dependence on imported animal feed and fertilisers.
2. Reducing food wasteReducing waste also contributes to the efficient use of resources in the EU.

They are an essential tool to realize this potential. demand-side food policies – designed to promote changes in consumer behaviour. These policies should not rely solely on providing information, which has limited impact without changing the wider food environment. Instead, they must build "fair food environments".

Fair food environments (defined as attuned to human perception and decision-making while also being more supportive of health, social, ecological and animal welfare compatibility) must improve food-related competencies as well as the availability, affordability and attractiveness of sustainable and healthy options.

Examples of policies cited in the sources that address climate change and promote plant-based diets or sustainability include:

• Availability (physical environment): Introducing standards in public food procurement that favour healthier and more sustainable options such as plant-based products. Examples from France, Portugal and Sweden include requirements for vegetarian/vegan food in public procurement. Denmark and Germany support plant-based foods and alternative proteins, including through subsidy schemes or support for marketing platforms.
• Affordability (economic environment): Adjustment of VAT rates, for example 0% VAT on fruit and vegetables in Spain, or subsidies and incentives to support the consumption of fruit, vegetables or legumes.
• Information (cognitive environment): Updating nutritional recommendations with regard to both health and environmental aspects (Germany, Denmark). Developing reliable labelling schemes that should reflect a holistic approach to sustainability in the future (e.g. climate labelling in Denmark). Using education to increase knowledge about the environmental impacts of food.
• Attractiveness (socio-cultural environment): Campaigns to promote sustainable and healthy food practices. Mobilization of culinary experts (e.g. New Nordic Diet in Denmark).

However, the development and implementation of these policies is often perceived as politically sensitive and complex due to the involvement of many stakeholders with different interests. Representatives of the food industry and retail are sometimes cited as those who hinder or delay the adoption and implementation of policies.

To address this complexity, it is recommended to develop political packages combining different tools. National food strategies they can also provide a coherent framework for policies. Some EU countries have already developed such strategies that seek to integrate environmental aspects, albeit with varying degrees of success and complexity (e.g. Denmark, Finland, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland also have strategies on nutrition and climate/agriculture).

At EU level, the Farm-to-Fork Strategy sought to integrate sustainability objectives, but many initiatives were shelved. The recent Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture recommended the adoption of demand-side policies. The February 2024 Vision for Agriculture and Food also mentions improving “favourable food environments” and promoting local/seasonal products in public procurement, although it does not primarily focus on demand-side interventions.

The EU can support Member States in developing demand-side policies and addressing climate change. Possible steps include setting up EU platforms for fair food environments to exchange good practices, support the integration of sustainable food system objectives into existing national plans (such as national energy and climate plans, which are key to reducing emissions), provide support and investment to promote healthy and plant-based diets (e.g. through the EU Plant-Based Food Action Plan), and adopt EU-wide regulatory measures such as harmonised food labelling, sustainability criteria in public procurement or rules on advertising and marketing.

Overall, addressing the climate impact of the food system through demand-side policies and transforming food environments has the potential to contribute not only to addressing climate change, but also to improving health, strengthening food security, and strategic autonomy. Spring