Here, briefly introduce yourself before presenting your project below.
Project Title
“Promoting Wellbeing and Health in Cities through Sustainable Food Choices” - Urban Economics Group
Social transition(s) addressed
The project aims to address the transition towards more sustainable and healthy consumption patterns in society, particularly focusing on food-related behaviors. In the Netherlands and most of the EU, more than 75% of people live in cities. Although cities are seen as powerhouses of our current economy in terms of creativity, innovation and economic productivity, they are also hotspots of unemployed, unhealthy and unhappy people. Inequalities in terms of opportunities to life and work, income and wellbeing are much larger than in the more rural regions across most of the western European territory. This is due to not only the composition of the population, but also the physical and social context they live in. The leading question for this project is “What can we do to increase wellbeing and health in particular in cities, through healthy and sustainable food choices, in order to contribute to a fairer, more inclusive and sustainable society?”.
Behavioral change(s) addressed
The project seeks to bring about behavioral changes in consumers by understanding and influencing their choices and preferences to promote sustainable and healthy food consumption. This involves shifting individuals from current unsustainable practices to more eco-conscious and health and sustainable-oriented behaviors.
Theoretical approach
The project is grounded in social psychology, drawing on theories and frameworks from this field to understand the underlying drivers of healthy/sustainable food consumption. It also integrates insights from behavioral economics and environmental psychology to develop effective strategies/nudges for behavior change in urban spaces.
Empirical research strategies
The project takes an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on insights from economics, sociology, social psychology, and other social sciences to understand and influence consumer choices related to food. It combines principles from behavioral economics, urban/regional economics, environmental psychology, health economics, and economic geography to develop a holistic understanding of food behavior. It employs a multi-method approach, combining quantitative surveys, experiments, and qualitative research to explore consumer attitudes, motivations, and decision-making processes related to sustainable and healthy consumption. It also involves field studies, living labs and real-world interventions to test and validate the effectiveness of behavior change strategies.
Possibilities for inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration
Aiming for an integrated approach, we propose a collaboration between Public Research Institutes (e.g., AMS Institute), which can collaborate with living lab expertise, social-inclusion and transformation knowledge. Second, Food and Technology companies, such as Startups and Food Companies. Third, it offers opportunities for collaboration with academic researchers in various fields, including environmental science, sociology, health and nutrition, data science, and social psychology.
Important Themes for Social Sciences
In the context of “Societal Transitions and Behavior Change,” two crucial themes that social sciences should address are:
Behavioral Nudges and Policy Integration: Investigating the integration of behavioral insights into policy design and implementation to facilitate sustainable behavior change, specifically for food security. That is, how can we enhance well-being and health, particularly in urban areas, through sustainable and healthy food choices, contributing to a fairer, more inclusive, and sustainable society?
Inclusive and Equitable Food System Transitions: Within major urban centers, the availability of affordable and nutritious food exhibits substantial spatial and socio-economic disparities. This is demonstrated by the increase of food deserts, which exacerbate deprivation and social marginalization, and poor nutrition, which increases diet-related diseases. Food justice and improved food access are essential for promoting better health outcomes and reducing health disparities in urban/ peri urban communities. Encouraging local and sustainable food production can reduce the environmental footprint of the food system by minimizing transportation and promoting sustainable farming practices. Thus, this project explores strategies to ensure that societal transitions are inclusive and do not exacerbate existing social disparities.
Social transition(s) addressed
The project aims to address the transition towards more sustainable and healthy consumption patterns in society, particularly focusing on food-related behaviors. In the Netherlands and most of the EU, more than 75% of people live in cities. Although cities are seen as powerhouses of our current economy in terms of creativity, innovation and economic productivity, they are also hotspots of unemployed, unhealthy and unhappy people. Inequalities in terms of opportunities to life and work, income and wellbeing are much larger than in the more rural regions across most of the western European territory. This is due to not only the composition of the population, but also the physical and social context they live in. The leading question for this project is “What can we do to increase wellbeing and health in particular in cities, through healthy and sustainable food choices, in order to contribute to a fairer, more inclusive and sustainable society?”.