ERIAFF Health, Nutrition and Food Innovation & EU citizens awareness

Description of the aims and goals of WG’s activities

The Working Group aims to strengthen European cooperation in health promotion, nutrition science, food innovation, and citizen awareness, contributing to the transition towards healthier and more sustainable food systems. Its mission is to bridge regional food traditions, advanced nutrition research, and innovation ecosystems, fostering collaboration across regions and stakeholders.

The WG facilitates cross-regional cooperation, supports evidence-based innovation, and contributes to the development of EU-level project proposals aligned with key strategies such as the European Green Deal, Farm to Fork, and Horizon Europe. It promotes multi-actor engagement among academia, industry, public health organisations, and regional authorities, while also contributing to EU policy dialogues.

Key focus areas include preventive health and nutrition, linking diet to health outcomes; the valorisation of food traditions through innovation; the development of digital health and nutrition tools; citizen engagement and awareness; and the promotion of sustainable food systems, including circular approaches and waste reduction.

Challenges to address

The WG aims to:

• Addresses the rise of diet-related diseases and declining nutrition literacy
• Responds to increasing sustainability pressures on European food systems
• Highlights the need to strengthen preventive health approaches
• Promotes public awareness and citizen engagement on nutrition and healthy diets
• Supports the transition to sustainable, culturally rooted dietary patterns
• Tackles fragmented innovation ecosystems in nutrition and food systems
• Encourages cross-regional collaboration in food and nutrition innovation
• Addresses barriers in integrating scientific evidence into policy and practice
• Seeks to connect traditional food knowledge with health data
• Promotes the development of digital health and nutrition tools
• Supports innovation in school food systems
• Contributes to the co-creation of EU project proposals for systemic food and health solutions