FOODSHIFT Pathways
The FOODSHIFT Pathways constitutes an innovative project that aims to provide educational communities with tools and ideas to educate the younger generation and guide them towards a sustainable future, focused on fighting the food crisis.
The food system is viewed as a complex global network consisting of multiple levels of production, coordination and control. It interacts with people through health, every-day life activities, development and is shaped by cultural, ethical and social factors. The current food system is contributing to 30% of the European share of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, it increases the need for arable soil to grow crops and feeding livestock, resulting in an excessive use of land and water resources. Furthermore, unhealthy diets associated with a high intake of red meat, sugar, and saturated fat, are linked with several non-communicable diseases that are contributing to more than 70% of all deaths in Europe. Food systems complexity requires a more holistic approach in order to find solution to this major problem.
Thus, raising awareness and empowering citizens towards environmental actions through the educational system can be the cornerstone of behavioural change towards food system. In this framework, the FOODSHIFT Pathways project will offer insight view, educational material, as well as it will include activities that will bring children closer to sustainable food system development (e.g. summer schools). In parallel, it will help teachers to integrate the concept of sustainability into the school curriculum, providing them with additional material and ideas for interactive exercises to impart knowledge and environmentally friendly strategies to children, aiming at a “greener” food system. Using interactive videos and digital storytelling techniques these practices will be treated as case studies for the participating schools to explore and develop innovative projects and activities that are expected to support their behavioural change towards the FS while at the same time, they will raise awareness on the issue in the local communities of the participating schools.
FOODSHIFT Pathways is a three-year duration (2022-2025) KA2 Strategic Partnership in the field of school education, co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union. It is coordinated by Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and involves five more institutions from Greece (Ellinogermaniki Agogi), Denmark (Carsten Meedom), the Netherlands (SUSMetro), Spain (IAAC) and Portugal (Ciencia Viva).
Work Unit Leader: Ioannis Ioakeimidis