Social dimension of climate-friendly nutrition
Nutrition can contribute strongly to climate protection and the mitigation of climate change. All stages of the value chain – from primary production through food processing, distribution and trade to final consumption – influence the climate impact of nutrition. In order to contribute to more climate protection and justice, nutrition has to be designed in an ecologically sustainable and socially acceptable way. While the state of knowledge in the ecological dimension is constantly improving and environmental impacts are to a large extent easily ascertainable, the social dimension of nutrition has so far been underrepresented.
Strengthening social perspectives
Our food systems are characterized by numerous interactions, for example between ecological, social and economic aspects. They can mutually promote or inhibit each other. Therefore, it is particularly important to take these different aspects into account when designing measures to foster climate-friendly and sustainable nutrition. Only if the social dimension is included more thoroughly, a climate-friendly and sustainable nutrition can be successfully implemented in practice. Thus, socially and ethically undesirable developments related to nutrition can be identified and addressed at an early stage. Furthermore, social inequalities and tensions can be tackled more effectively. Overall, it encourages joint efforts for sustainable development and makes corresponding measures more viable.
With this in mind, the Department of Nutritional Behavior of the MRI is taking an in-depth look at the social dimension of nutrition as part of its research on sustainable nutrition. The project "Social Dimension of Climate-Friendly Nutrition" is dedicated to exploring the field. The aim is to strengthen social perspectives in the context of climate-friendly and sustainable nutrition through the participatory development of action-oriented knowledge.
Need for action and options
Over the course of this project, the state of research and knowledge about the social impacts of nutrition will be examined. This includes the problem description of social criteria and the current data as well as ongoing activities, such as in the area of certification. The need for action in order to strengthen the social dimension will be identified and possible options for actions discussed. Furthermore, the aim is to initiate a joint understanding of the objectives and to network actors from different areas of society and support their exchange.
Insights into food production, processing, and consumption
Experts from different fields are involved in the project to take a broad spectrum of knowledge, experiences and positions into account and to jointly encourage the implementation of measures for a socially sound shaping of food systems. The methodological approach consists of an extensive literature research, various expert workshops as well as interviews. The project focuses exemplarily on the two fields of food production and processing as well as final consumption (consumers, households).
Important research questions are:
- What are the social, including ethical and cultural, impacts of nutrition at the level of food production and consumption?
- What is the current state of knowledge and data in these fields?
- What proposals (concepts, methods, initiatives, etc.) exist in order to improve recording and assessment of social impacts? What are the challenges?
- What options for action exist for actors from politics and practice in order to strengthen the social dimension of climate-friendly nutrition and take it into greater consideration?
The project is part of the joint project "Climate-Friendly Nutrition from the Perspective of Consumers and Society" (ENKL), which is conducted jointly by the MRI and the Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute for Market Analysis. The Thünen Institute's project "Klimagerecht essen" (Eating in a climate-friendly way) focuses on climate-friendly nutrition in the everyday lives of consumers. Both sub-projects complement each other in terms of content and methodology and, from their different perspectives, make a joint contribution to climate-friendly and sustainable nutrition, which increasingly considers ecological, social and economic aspects.
Kick-off workshops on the social dimension of sustainable nutrition
The first expert workshops of the ENKL project took place in the fall of 2023. More than twenty experts from politics, civil society, business and science exchanged views on the following topics:
- Workshop 1: Social aspects of food production and processing
- Workshop 2: Social aspects of nutrition at consumer level
The first workshop focused on issues such as pricing, working conditions, skills shortages, regionality, bureaucratic processes and social attitudes towards agricultural production. Participants of the second workshop discussed the breadth and definition of the social dimension of nutrition. Topics included food poverty, cultural identity, power relations and everyday nutrition.
The invited experts contributed perspectives that helped to map the two research areas and form the basis for the further course of the project. The knowledge about the social impact of sustainable nutrition will be deepened and elaborated in the next workshops, literature research and interviews. The aim is to develop joint courses of action for a socially responsible approach to nutrition in Germany.