Food security, sustainable agriculture and bio-economy - these are some of the topics that are also integrated in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. A key goal here is to sustainably supply urban areas with healthy and regional food and to make them more crisis-resistant.
In order to be able to address these challenges, Mahshid Sotoudeh from the Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and her team investigated within the framework of the CITY.FOOD.BASKET project how regional shopping baskets can be promoted in the future. The experts' concrete recommendations are directed at politics, production, consumers and trade.
Extra points for sustainability
"In general, it is noticeable that people in Austria are rethinking things due to climate change and global environmental pollution.They are increasingly opting for regional and organic products. The economy should take advantage of this moment and recognise the value of healthy food," emphasises Sotoudeh. One of the recommendations is therefore to strengthen civil society involvement and to promote the strong need of consumers for a personal relationship with producers.
Furthermore, the researchers recommend to regulate regional food prices, e.g. through tax concessions, compared to non-sustainable forms of production, and to promote regional economic cooperation, e.g. through quality seals, labels and product standards. The availability of regional products outside of supermarkets, for example through pick-up stations, vending machines and online shops, is also essential. The full report and detailed recommendations will appear soon.
ITA-Project CITY.FOOD.BASKET
Folder (PDF, in German): CITY.FOOD.BASKET – nahhaltig Konsumieren leicht gemacht: Regionale Warenkörbe für Interaktion, Kompetenzaufbau und Lebensmittelsicherheit