The Just food project examines transition pathways and their impacts. © Just food/Finnish Environment Institute SYKE
Just food strengthens the inclusion of environmental, economic and nutritional matters in the assessment of the food transition. The project will produce cross-disciplinary, new empirical data on the ecological, economic and nutritional impacts of various paths to emission reduction and the distribution of the impacts between different production sectors, areas and socio-economic groups. This will build a foundation for identifying vulnerable groups and seeking and testing practical solutions in order to reduce vulnerabilities within the transition.
For evaluating the potential impact of emission reductions, Just Food has developed five transition pathways. These are collections of policy means each focusing on different stages of the food system. For example, we can pursue changes in the food system by changing the consumption habits, which means changes in diets. We can also seek changes in land use or support new technologies in primary production or in the food industry.
Solutions through cooperation
Just food seeks solutions for carrying out the just food transition in cooperation with its partners – Valio Dairy Cooperative, Helsinki Service Centre, food services of Muurame, Leijona Catering, Juurikas community supported agriculture in Jyväskylä, Oma pelto cooperative, soya producers of Brazil – in different parts of the food system. Together, we will design solutions that recognise and take better into consideration the vulnerable groups in the implementation of the just food transition. This is the project’s unique contribution to the actions and theory of the management of the food transition.
The case studies proceed at a good pace
We have given dairy producers from different regions in Finland a chance to articulate their perceptions of the climate change discussion and the feelings evoked by it. Also, the power of private governance is in the focus in this case study with Valio.
Together with catering services, experiments on methods for engaging students in developing climate-smart school meals and menus are on-going in two locations in Finland.
The Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) researchers and actors have started off by identifying novel and fair ways to engage consumers in the CSA activities.