Public engagement

We believe that we are all responsible for, and connected to, the food that we eat, so we all need to work together to improve it. Our activities are designed to engage with people so that they can become agents of change in the food system.

At EIT Food, we are building an inclusive and innovative community where you can be actively involved. Together we can deliver an innovative agrifood sector that produces both healthy and sustainable food and is trusted by society.

Examples of our public engagement activities can be grouped into the following areas:

Dialogue and engagement via events & (digital) platforms e.g. FoodUnfolded
Offering guidance by providing targeted information e.g. SEE & EAT
School programmes e.g. EIT Food School Network

FoodUnfolded

Everything you ever wanted to know about food tech and more! FoodUnfolded® will take you through how our food is made, why certain processes are used, and how technology can make our food more sustainable, healthy and nutritious.

Check it out!

All our public engagement activities

EIT Food Journalism Awards

With the aim of disseminating good habits and healthy initiatives to society, generate collaborative relationships with the media and value the objectives for which EIT was created, EIT Food organises a Journalism Award in Agrifood Innovation and Sustainability at national level.

Smart Tags for Improving Consumer Interaction in Food Value Chain

The Smart Tags communication project is set to increase consumer trust towards food products by sharing information about the food product value chain during the whole life-cycle of the product, enabling novel service concepts and interactivity between consumers and the food industry.

EIT Food TrustTracker®

Research has shown that consumers do not understand or trust in the food industry. This is thought to be driven by the gap between what consumers want and what the food industry provides.

The FutureKitchen Virtual Reality and EatingHealthy Video Infotainment Series 2020

Creative infotaining is the future of knowledge transfer and co-creation among young generations.

Social Media Campaign - Zero Plastic Hero

The Zero Plastic Hero campaign was organised on Facebook over the course of a month to inform and inspire consumers about plastic waste. We shared tips on reducing plastic waste, introduced consumers to sustainable products and collaborated with ambassadors that are experts on the topic.

Hapje Tapje: Kitchen of the Future

Hapje Tapje is a consumer event and a culinary feast in the city of Leuven. Every year, EIT Food presents innovative ideas, drinks and foods to the general public.

Influencer Campaign to introduce consumers to innovative foods

EIT Food West uses food influencers to evaluate new concepts. We send them a package with products from our startups such as insect-based snacks and toasts made of beer side streams. This way, a large audience is reached and introduced to new, healthy and sustainable concepts.   

The Future of Protein & the Protein of the Future in Europe

Based on an increasing global demand for protein and that the resulting pressure on traditional animal sources is nowadays considered unsustainable, there is an urgent need of new sustainable protein alternatives with a high nutritional quality, safe and with technological functionalities that satisfy the consumer needs and expectations.

Citizen Science to build consumer trust in the food system

Increasing consumer trust in the food system inspiring citizens to become change agents as amateur scientists.

How the corona crisis affects consumer behaviour and consumer demand for food products and services

The project will provide information on how the corona crisis will lead to changes in consumer behaviour.

Cook Clever: a gamified solution to tackle household food waste habits

Households contribute to 53% of total food waste produced.

Increasing consumer trust and support for the food supply chain and for food companies

This consumer-focused project will work with consumers, food companies and other stakeholders (industry bodies, non-governmental organisations, regulatory authorities and policy makers, media).

The #AnnualFoodAgenda

The #AnnualFoodAgenda encourages consumers to think about the food they eat, increasing their knowledge of the entire value chain, and linking healthy diets to an active and healthy lifestyle, as well as to a healthier planet.

EATrends & food fashion week

EATrends and food fashion week is raising awareness of the key trends that are shaping food innovation today, and empowering people to influence the way they eat.

Games of Food

Games of Food is increasing public awareness around balanced nutrition and a healthy lifestyle through the use of Escape games.

Developing a Digital Toolkit to Enhance the Communication of Scientific Health Claims

The aim of this project is to develop a ‘prosumerist’ digital toolkit– informed by research in linguistics, information design, nutritional science and behavioural economics—to gather information that will help manufacturers and marketers communicate more effectively about the health benefits of food and help consumers make more informed choices.

Consumer attitudes towards healthier processed meat products

This project tests the acceptability of novel healthy processed meat products incorporating plant-based ingredients among European consumers.

Integrating Precision Farming in Computer Game

Precision agriculture has a high potential to improve farming practices leading to increased technical efficiency, better use of inputs, and therefore diminished environmental footprint.

FoodUnfolded®

FoodUnfolded® is an online platform designed to familiarise the public with food technology, building understanding through relevant topics like health, safety and sustainability.

EIT FoodScienceClass

The EIT FoodScienceClass is a collaborative project that aims to bring students closer to food systems by helping them understand the role of food production and technology in food safety and security.

EIT Food Ambassadors Programme: Influencer marketing for EIT Food

FoodAmbassadors is a project that aims to engage food and health Influencers in order to co-create science-based content for their community.

‘SEE & EAT’: Communicating the benefits of visual familiarity as a strategy for introducing healthy foods into children’s diets 2020

Healthy eating in childhood tracks into adulthood, so promoting dietary variety should begin early.

The EIT Food School Network: Integrating solutions to improve eating habits and reduce food wastage 2020

The “EIT Food School Network” third year activities are focused on the organisation of four stakeholder workshops (school staff, key organisations involved in regulating schools, academics and policy makers). Due to the current circumstances, these may be virtual. The aim of these workshops is to communicate results of the past two years of research conducted as part of the EIT Food School Network project and involve stakeholders in co-creation of activities and ideas going forward.

The V-PLACE – Enabling consumer choice in Vegan or Vegetarian Food Products

The demand for vegan and vegetarian food products including alternatives to meat, milk, or eggs, has expanded considerably during recent years in Europe.

Towards a smarter shopping list

The aim of the project will be to develop an interactive platform for families with children from different countries where they will have the opportunity to receive information and advice about how to improve their food habits and choices .

RIS countries and regions

If you look forward to getting involved in the revolution of the agrifood system and you are from Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Italy*, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland* Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain* or Turkey or Ukraine, you cannot miss these challenging activities!

Learn more about our Regional Innovation Scheme

Want to join a project?

Projects are led by members of our EIT Food community.

Learn more about our Community

Latest news

News

EIT Food will reward SMEs and startups that work in the value chain of the olive sector in Europe

03 February 2021

This European prize, worth 4,000 euros, has been included in the Juan Ramón Guillén Foundation Awards. The deadline for candidate submissions is the 15th of May 2021.

EIT Food becomes partner in Flemish food coalition ‘Vlaamse kost’ to develop food strategy for the future

19 January 2021

EIT Food West director Martine van Veelen is invited as an advisory partner to assist with the development of the Flemish food....