Sounding the alarm: Gen Z unite for circular remodeling of current food systems

30 Nov 2021 --- Young people growing up in the climate change generation are uniting in their call for sustainable food systems. The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Food appointed innovators are spearheading the call under the FutureFoodMakers hat at the Future of Food Conference being held today.

Six priority demands to improve access to healthy, affordable food are being put forward to policymakers and captains of the food industry under the “Menu for Change” umbrella name. They are calling for sustainability, regenerative agriculture, uniform nutrition, labeling guidelines and tackling food waste.

“In a crucial year for global climate talks, we need the next generation – who will be most affected by the climate crisis – to have a seat at the table in shaping a future-fit food system,” says Dr. Andy Zynga, CEO of EIT Food.

“We know that the world cannot achieve its goal of limiting climate change to 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit without addressing global food systems, yet food could have been more prominent on the agenda at COP26.”

Food waste from supermarkets is a priority on the FutureFoodMakers Menu for Change.Degraded food systems bog Gen Z down
EIT Food appointed ten innovators as FutureFoodMakers to spearhead the global call for change and ensure the views of the youth are heard. Together they formulated the Menu for Change stipulations.

Some of the other stringent demands from the Gen Z’ers are transparency through an EU-wide true cost of food policy and inclusivity within these systems. 

Research from EIT Food, which surveyed 2,000 consumers from the UK, France, Germany, Poland and Spain, shows that young people aged 18 to 24 think the global food system is in crisis and is only getting worse. Two-thirds believe that the current food system is destroying the planet.

“We – the next generation of leaders, decision-makers and consumers – deserve a voice about these changes and what our future food system should look like. It is time for young people to be heard,” urges Júlia Montoliu Boneu, FutureFoodMaker. 

EIT Food’s research shows that young people across Europe want an overhaul of the global food system to stave off the effects of global warming and climate change.

Nearly eight in ten young people (78%) believe urgent action is needed to produce food more sustainably. Two-thirds (66%) feel that the current food system is destroying the planet. A further 61% think the food sector has become less sustainable in recent years.

“Underpinning this is the universal need for social justice and inclusion. Transitioning to a better, more resilient European food system requires urgent change and innovation across the food value chain – from farmers, manufacturers, and retailers to governments, NGOs and consumers,” says Montoliu Boneu.

“As we use these recommendations to drive conversations with stakeholders across the agri-food sector, we must ensure no one is left behind and everyone’s voice is heard.”

“Menu for Change” outlines priority demands
EIT Food appointed ten Gen Z innovators as FutureFoodMakers to spearhead the global call for change and ensure the views of the youth are heard. 

The Menu for Change calls upon European food sector stakeholders to implement changes that promote regenerative agriculture, uniform nutrition and labeling guidelines, tackling food waste and an EU-wide true cost of food policy.The Menu for Change highlights six priority demands.

The six priorities are as follows:

• Target 25% of EU agricultural land to be managed under regenerative practices by 2030.
• Define uniform EU nutrition and labeling guidelines.
• Develop an inclusion policy that considers the effects of regulations on food costs among vulnerable populations and the provision of vouchers for nutrient-rich foods.
• Develop an EU-wide true cost of food policy that mandates calculating the true cost of foods produced by medium-large corporations and multinationals.
• Tackle food waste in supermarkets.
• Include the nutritional, health and environmental implications of food in education curriculums for children.
  
  

Gen Z sounds the alarm
The research shows that “food sustainability” is of growing concern for this age group, with two-thirds (64%) saying it has become more important to them in the past 12 months, while 65% think that Gen Z cares more about this than older generations.

Gen Z considers fruit and vegetable farming one of the most sustainable options, with 74% saying they believe this to be sustainable. This is followed by growing food locally (74%), organic farming (72%) and plant-based foods (70%). Meanwhile, half of the young people surveyed consider importing food to be unsustainable. 

Stakeholders have recently come onboard to industry’s movement for more sustainable food systems in Europe, including Nestlé, Mondelēz and the overarching body representing European businesses, FoodDrinkEurope. 

Consumers are driving the trends for sustainability in large part, as recent Kerry research reveals that 49% of consumers now consider sustainability when buying food and drink. Their understanding of the issue is evolving beyond environmental or social responsibility. 

Edited by Inga de Jong