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Tipping points towards healthy and sustainable Swiss diets: Assessing prescriptions, practices and impacts

English title Tipping points towards healthy and sustainable Swiss diets: Assessing prescriptions, practices and impacts
Applicant Erkman Suren
Number 166763
Funding scheme NRP 69 Healthy Nutrition and Sustainable Food Production
Research institution Institut de géographie et de durabilité Faculté des géosciences et environnement Université de Lausanne
Institution of higher education University of Lausanne - LA
Main discipline Other disciplines of Environmental Sciences
Start/End 01.09.2016 - 31.03.2019
Approved amount 638'417.00
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All Disciplines (2)

Discipline
Other disciplines of Environmental Sciences
Sociology

Keywords (4)

socio-technical transition theories; nutritional and environmental LCA; social practice theories; healthy and sustainable diets

Lay Summary (French)

Lead
Points de basculement vers des régimes alimentaires sains et durables en Suisse : comprendre les prescriptions, pratiques et impactsDe nouvelles prescriptions et pratiques concernant des régimes alimentaires « sains et durables » sont régulièrement formulées. Mais comprenons-nous comment ces changements évoluent dans le temps ? Quels sont les impacts de ces régimes sur l’environnement et la santé humaine ? Et comment de nouveaux régimes plus « sains et durables » pourraient-ils être mieux soutenus et rendus plus résilients sur la durée ? Ce projet de recherche interdisciplinaire recourt à des méthodes mixtes pour découvrir les points de basculement qui pourraient favoriser des transitions vers des régimes alimentaires suisses sains et durables.
Lay summary

Points de basculement vers des régimes alimentaires sains et durables en Suisse : comprendre les prescriptions, pratiques et impacts

De nouvelles prescriptions et pratiques concernant des régimes alimentaires « sains et durables » sont régulièrement formulées. Mais comprenons-nous comment ces changements évoluent dans le temps ? Quels sont les impacts de ces régimes sur l’environnement et la santé humaine ? Et comment de nouveaux régimes plus « sains et durables » pourraient-ils être mieux soutenus et rendus plus résilients sur la durée ? Ce projet de recherche interdisciplinaire recourt à des méthodes mixtes pour découvrir les points de basculement qui pourraient favoriser des transitions vers des régimes alimentaires suisses sains et durables.

Une équipe interdisciplinaire, composée du groupe Ecologie Industrielle (UNIL); du Laboratoire de relations humain-environnement dans les systèmes urbains (HERUS/EPFL), et de Quantis International, avec le soutien de nos partenaires dans les secteurs public et académique, vise aux objectifs suivants : 1) comprendre, par une approche des pratiques sociales, comment de nouvelles prescriptions émergent à propos des régimes alimentaires, perçus comme « sains et durables » ; 2) évaluer l’impact de divers régimes sur l’environnement et la santé humaine, par une analyse cycle de vie complétée par l’aspect nutritionnel ; et 3) analyser les incitations  et les obstacles à des régimes alimentaires « sains et durables » par l’approche des transitions sociotechniques. En plus du développement de cadres conceptuels et de l'obtention de nouvelles données empiriques, les résultats de ce projet de recherche seront pertinents pour des groupes de consommateurs, ainsi que pour les secteurs public et privé. 
Direct link to Lay Summary Last update: 28.06.2016

Responsible applicant and co-applicants

Employees

Publications

Publication
Cutting through conflicting prescriptions: How guidelines inform “healthy and sustainable” diets in Switzerland
Godin Laurence, Sahakian Marlyne (2018), Cutting through conflicting prescriptions: How guidelines inform “healthy and sustainable” diets in Switzerland, in Appetite, 130, 123-133.
From practices to volumes, from meaning to nutrients: Studying healthy and sustainable diets in an interdisciplinary context
GodinLaurence, ErnstoffAlexi, SahakianMarlyne, From practices to volumes, from meaning to nutrients: Studying healthy and sustainable diets in an interdisciplinary context, in Tonner Andrea , Gustafsson Ulla, Draper Alizon, O'Connel Rebecca (ed.), Routledge, UK.
Nourishing: Sustainability assessment of urban agriculture
FeolaG, SahakianM, BinderC, Nourishing: Sustainability assessment of urban agriculture, in Wyss R (ed.), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Collaboration

Group / person Country
Types of collaboration
Ligues de la santé Switzerland (Europe)
- in-depth/constructive exchanges on approaches, methods or results
Anthropology Institute, University of Neuchatel Switzerland (Europe)
- in-depth/constructive exchanges on approaches, methods or results
Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Ernährung SGE Switzerland (Europe)
- in-depth/constructive exchanges on approaches, methods or results
Dept of Geography, University of Munich Germany (Europe)
- in-depth/constructive exchanges on approaches, methods or results
Research Group Inter-/Transdisciplinarity, University of Basel Switzerland (Europe)
- in-depth/constructive exchanges on approaches, methods or results
Quantis Switzerland (Europe)
- in-depth/constructive exchanges on approaches, methods or results
- Publication
- Research Infrastructure
- Exchange of personnel
- Industry/business/other use-inspired collaboration
Fédération Romande des Consommateurs Switzerland (Europe)
- in-depth/constructive exchanges on approaches, methods or results
University of Applied Sciences Münster (UAM) Germany (Europe)
- in-depth/constructive exchanges on approaches, methods or results

Scientific events

Active participation

Title Type of contribution Title of article or contribution Date Place Persons involved
Climate Challenge Week, EPFL Talk given at a conference Learnings from Swiss Diet Study 13.11.2018 Lausanne (Quantis was involved, not listed below), Switzerland Erkman Suren;
Déjeuner sociologique - Université de Genève Talk given at a conference Manger sain et durable en Suisse : Prescriptions, pratiques et morale alimentaires 04.10.2018 Geneva, Switzerland Godin Laurence;
European Sociological Association RN5 – Copenhagen Talk given at a conference Time, space and social relationships: three key elements for translating food prescriptions into practice 31.08.2018 Copenhagen, Denmark Sahakian Marlyne; Godin Laurence;
Society of environmental toxicology and chemistry annual conference Talk given at a conference Using the first Swiss dietary survey to determine the environmental and health benefits and impacts of various dietary patterns 13.05.2018 Rome (Quantis was involved, not listed below), Italy Erkman Suren;
Food Packaging: a Life Cycle Challenge EPFL workshop Talk given at a conference The future of food as embedded in everyday practices 21.11.2017 Lausanne, Switzerland Godin Laurence; Sahakian Marlyne;
13th Conference of the European Sociological Association Talk given at a conference Is reducing meat consumption threatening our way of life? Pro-meat discourses and practices in Switzerland 29.08.2017 Athens, Greece Godin Laurence; Sahakian Marlyne;
Global Research Forum on Sustainable Production and Consumption Talk given at a conference Towards healthy and sustainable eating:between prescriptions and practices 28.06.2017 Brighton, Great Britain and Northern Ireland Godin Laurence; Sahakian Marlyne;
BSA Food Study Group Annual Conference 2017 Talk given at a conference From practices to volumes, from meaning to nutrients 26.06.2017 London (with Ernstoff from Quantis), Great Britain and Northern Ireland Sahakian Marlyne; Godin Laurence;
Common Good and Self Interest – Congress of the Swiss Sociological Association 2017 Talk given at a conference Towards healthy and sustainable food consumption practices: the role of prescriptions 21.06.2017 Zurich, Switzerland Sahakian Marlyne; Godin Laurence;
Food Utopias in Switzerland Talk given at a conference Towards healthy and sustainable food consumption practices: the role of prescriptions 07.06.2017 Neuchatel, Switzerland Sahakian Marlyne; Godin Laurence;
Sociologie des marchés : Marchés, Morale, Mouvements sociaux Individual talk Prescriptions et pratiques alimentaires: Vers une consommation saine et durable aux Philippines et en Suisse 17.05.2017 University of Neuchatel, Switzerland Sahakian Marlyne;


Knowledge transfer events

Active participation

Title Type of contribution Date Place Persons involved
Nachhaltige Ernährung – verständlich serviert Talk 07.03.2019 Bern, Switzerland Godin Laurence; Sahakian Marlyne;
Meeting with the director general of Migros Geneva Talk 05.03.2019 Geneva , Switzerland Godin Laurence; Sahakian Marlyne;
Jeudi de Quantis: Talk 29.11.2018 Geneva, Switzerland Sahakian Marlyne;
Prescriptions et pratiques alimentaires, l’exemple des aliments transformés Talk 11.08.2017 Bern, Switzerland Godin Laurence; Sahakian Marlyne;


Communication with the public

Communication Title Media Place Year
Talks/events/exhibitions Café scientifique: Manger sain...un effet de mode? Western Switzerland 2019
Print (books, brochures, leaflets) Towards environmentally sustainable and healthy diets in Switzerland: uncovering food prescriptions, Western Switzerland International German-speaking Switzerland 2019
Media relations: print media, online media Consommation: Plongée de l’assiette des Suisses Campus (UNIGE magazine) Western Switzerland 2018
New media (web, blogs, podcasts, news feeds etc.) Quel rôle pour les prescriptions et les pratiques dans les régimes alimentaires "sains et durables" EXPERT:ISE Le blog de l'Institut des Sciences de l'Environnement Western Switzerland 2018
Media relations: radio, television Comment réussir son Noël sans viande et sans gluten Tribune de Genève Western Switzerland 2017

Associated projects

Number Title Start Funding scheme
166763 Tipping points towards healthy and sustainable Swiss diets: Assessing prescriptions, practices and impacts 01.09.2016 NRP 69 Healthy Nutrition and Sustainable Food Production

Abstract

In Switzerland, we have been observing changes in terms of prescriptions and practices that promote “healthy and sustainable” diets. An open question remains: do we fully understand how these changes evolve, what the environmental and health impacts of these diets are, and how changes in the direction towards healthier and more sustainable diets could be further supported. The inter-disciplinary and mixed-methods research project seeks to uncover “tipping points” in order to support transitions towards healthy and sustainable diets in the Swiss national context.The interdisciplinary research team, including the Industrial Ecology group (UNIL); the Human-Environment Relations in Urban Systems (EPFL); and Quantis International, along with the active contribution of our partners in the public sector and academia, seeks to: 1) Engage with social practice theory to uncover how prescribed “healthy and sustainable” diets emerge, involving multiple criteria, from types of food, to food production and provisioning systems; 2) Implement a health, nutritional and environmental Life Cycle Assessment to compare the environmental and nutritional effects of dietary scenarios, evaluating impacts from production through consumption; and 3) Analyse drivers and barriers for shifting practices to more “healthy and sustainable” diets through socio-technical transition theories at the level of people and society. In addition to delivering new empirical research and further developing conceptual handles, the results of this research project will be relevant to consumer interest groups, and the public policy and private sector alike.
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