Réflexions

Par The SWITCH team

SWITCH brings together expertise spanning disciplines and geographies to understand how food systems can be transformed to support better dietary choices for people and the planet. This article distils key findings from across the project's work packages into concise, actionable insights for those shaping food-related policy. The messages here are designed to inform decisions that are evidence-based, practical, and responsive to the urgency of sustainable food transition.

New policies must support farmers and regions to adjust to the new opportunities and challenges offered by shifts towards more healthy and sustainable diets

Shifting to healthy and sustainable diets can deliver major benefits, but will also reshape EU agricultural production and rural economies. Modelling undertaken during the SWITCH project shows that shifts toward the SWITCH diet significantly improve health outcomes and reduce environmental impacts, including greenhouse gas emissions. In turn, demand increases for vegetables, pulses, and fish, creating new income and employment opportunities in suitable regions. However, lower demand for meat may reduce income prospects for specialized livestock farmers, particularly in marginal areas with limited alternatives. Without supportive and proactive policies, these changes could lead to uneven economic impacts across farmers and regions.

By Marta Kozika, WP7, EU scenario of food dietary patterns and environmental and socio-economic shifts

AI can be a powerful ally in driving the transition of food systems, but not self-sufficient. 

Its effectiveness depends heavily on the quality, representativeness, and structure of the underlying data. Data forms the basis of any AI application and determines the accuracy and reliability of models. High-quality datasets are essential for training accurate models, producing reliable results, and supporting informed decisions. Without careful data management, AI can generate biased or misleading predictions, and clear governance is essential to safeguard privacy and security. To use AI responsibly, policymakers should invest in robust data infrastructure, promote interdisciplinary collaboration, and critically evaluate AI outcomes. Only then can AI support truly sustainable, resilient, and actionable food policies.

By Maria Mirto, WP6, Data lake and Machine Learning

Knowing what to eat is not enough, people need the right conditions to actually change.

The SWITCH project brings together researchers, health professionals, and communities across Europe to understand how we can help people transition to diets that are better for both health and the planet. The Swedish work contributes real-world evidence on what it takes to make that shift happen in practice, across different life circumstances and socioeconomic realities. This is knowledge that cannot come from a laboratory. It emerges from meeting people where they are, and from asking not just whether change is possible, but how to make it accessible to everyone. For policy makers, SWITCH offers a foundation for designing food system interventions that are effective, equitable, and grounded in how people actually live.

By Thérése Hjorth and Mari Wollmar, WP3, SWITCH Diet Intervention Trial

Interventions do not work equally for all groups — sustainable transitions must account for psychosocial and socio-economic differences.

Affordability and availability are key leverage points for enabling healthier and more sustainable food choices for all population groups. Policy measures that make healthy and sustainable (including local) food options financially competitive with conventional supermarket products can generate co-benefits for public health and environmental sustainability.

Our findings indicate that citizens, including those in more socially and economically vulnerable situations, are motivated to adopt healthier diets. However, sustainability currently plays a less prominent role in food choices for many people, and shifting towards more sustainable diets requires changes in cooking practices and in perceptions of what constitutes healthy, balanced and appealing meals.

Evidence from the SWITCH activities shows that experiential learning approaches—such as growing, cooking and tasting sustainable foods—can rapidly and effectively strengthen both motivation and practical skills for more sustainable eating behaviors.

By Kristel Polhuis, working on WP4 Psychosocial & Realist Evaluation

Coordination is not merely a managerial function, but a strategic enabler of impact. 

Large-scale EU projects such as SWITCH function as coordinated laboratories for systemic transition, bringing together diverse knowledge within differentiated local and national settings where solutions can be tested and refined under real-world conditions.

A key governance lesson for policymakers is that coordination is not merely a managerial function, but a strategic enabler of impact. Effective coordination fosters integration across stakeholders, ensures knowledge flows between science, practice, and policy, and combines different types of evidence into actionable insights. Managing such complexity requires flexible governance structures, continuous alignment, and trust-building among food system actors.

For policymakers, this means investing not only in innovative solutions, but also in the governance mechanisms that enable them to emerge, interact, and scale.

By Maria Vincenza (Cinzia) Chiriacò, Project coordinator