The main goal of the TASTE project is to create healthier, more sustainable and fairer food environments in Europe by making the true costs of food visible and actionable. Using True Cost Accounting, the project integrates environmental, health and social impacts into food related decision making so that sustainable choices become easier and more accessible.
The project addresses the challenge that current food prices and food environments do not reflect the true environmental, health and social costs of food. As a result, unhealthy and unsustainable food options are often the most affordable and accessible, particularly in socio economically disadvantaged areas. This contributes to rising diet related diseases, growing health inequalities and environmental pressures, while placing long term costs on public budgets and local communities.
This issue is highly relevant for Nordic and regional development at this time. Nordic countries face increasing public health expenditures, climate commitments that require rapid food system transformation, and growing territorial inequalities between and within regions. Municipalities play a central role in shaping food environments through planning, public meals and procurement, yet often lack tools to integrate sustainability and health considerations into everyday decisions.
The research pursues three main objectives:
- develops and tests True Cost Accounting methods that link dietary patterns, food environments and policy frameworks across European contexts.
- applies these methods in real world settings through living labs in canteens and neighbourhoods, where municipalities, food providers, civil society and residents co-develop practical solutions.
- translates evidence into policy relevant tools, including a TCA based calculator, decision support for municipalities, and recommendations for public procurement, dietary guidelines and food policy.
The project will deliver practical tools, evidence and insights that support healthier, more sustainable and fairer food environments:
- Key outcomes include tested True Cost Accounting methods and concrete policy recommendations for municipalities, national authorities and EU level actors.
- Through living labs in canteens and neighbourhoods, the project will generate place based evidence on how food environments influence dietary choices and how these environments can be reshaped through procurement, planning and communication.
- Co-created solutions and case studies will provide actionable examples that policymakers and practitioners can adapt to their own contexts.
- The project will strengthen capacities among municipalities, food providers and civil society by improving understanding of the links between diet, health, climate and social equity.
- By translating complex evidence into accessible decision support and guidance, the results will help communities
As part of the TASTE project, Nordregio leads the Swedish case study through a Food Neighbourhood Lab, examining how local food environments shape sustainable and healthy choices and translating True Cost Accounting into practical municipal action.
