Food consumption continuously increases as population grows. Then, it seems a big problem to obtain sustainability as a dimension of sustainable growth. Sustainability in consumption of foods can be provided by both efficient use of natural resources and consumers’ increasing consciousness. However, it is difficult to suggest the existence of an accurate mechanism to educate consumers. It is obvious that there is a lack of education on sustainable consumption of foods both in national level and in European level. Therefore, with this project it is aimed at developing an education system for adults to provide sustainable consumption of foods. In order to develop such a system, an accurate measurement tool, a detailed needs analysis and educational activities are required. Project consists three stages. The first stage targets developing a valid, comprehensive and inter-cultural index to measure the sustainable consumption of foods. To do that, a needs analysis will be done and an index (SCOFI) will be developed after an extensive research, that includes getting the opinions of experts in the field and reviewing the previous studies. Then, the index will be organized in a manner that provides inter-cultural usability by having validity and reliability studies. In the second stage of the project, sustainable food consumption behaviours of adults in the partner countries will be analysed with the help of SCOFI developed in the first stage. Relating with social and demographic variables, consumer clusters will be developed. Every cluster will be defined in detail and their educational needs will be determined. Also the subject will gain a broader perspective with the competence map provided at partner countries level. In the third stage of the project, preparation of training materials and their distribution to the target groups is the main part. Printed resources like books, brochures, etc. and digital educational tools such as videos and mobile application will be designed at this stage. With the help of various multiplier events, seminars / webinars, short-term joint staff events and social media tools, these materials will be available to more than 9,000 individuals and more than 50 relevant organizations. At the same time, these training activities will be more extensively effective in the public with the created role models and digital tools. As a further result, this indirect effect is also expected to spread over others with whom more than 50 organizations that the training materials will be available have relationships. Additionally, this project, which is specifically designed for adults’ education, is expected to guide also the next generation consumers, who will be grown by the trainees. Besides the main objective, we also want to reach such goals within the project: - To raise the awereness of adults on sustainable consumption of food - To raise the skills and competencies of adults on food consumption - Analyzing the education needs of adults in the frame of sustainable food consumption issue - To create tools for facilitating the understanding of sustainable consumption of food by using training materials During the project we will be having such activities: Transnational Project Meetings: - Kick-Off transnational partners meeting (İzmir, TR) - 1st Progress Meeting (Nitra, SL) - 2nd Progress Meeting (Stockholm, SV - 3rd Progress Meeting (Aarhus, DA) - 4th Progress Meeting (Mugla, TR) - 5th Progress Meeting (Izmir, TR) Following activities: - Preparation and submission of progress report every 6th month - Preparation and submission of final report Intellectual Outputs: Within SUSCOF project we are planning to achieve 5 main outputs. Those outputs are designed to reach the project objectives step by step. - Need Analysis Report: It will clarify the concepts and content of the project. The report will reveal the current situaiton about sustainability of food consumption among adults. - SCOFI: It will be designed as a intercultural index to measure the level of adults' sustainable consumption of food. It will be an innovative index to understand the adults' consumption behavior. - Competence Map: It will define similarities and differences about sustainable consumption of food by comparing the situation among partner countries. - Training Materials: Within this output various training materials will be prepared and presented to use for adults from all parts of the society. - Digital Platform: Mobile application MySusCoF, website, and social network acoounts will serve as a platform for sharing of good practices. The tools will be used to educate adults about how to sustain consumption of foods. Multiplier Events: - Local Multiplier Events and local testing sessions in 6 countries are planned in order to raise the visibility of the project. A short-term joint staff event and seminars in 6 countries with a webinar will also the key activities to disseminate the outputs of the project.
Food consumption continuously increases as the population grows. Correspondingly, sustainable food consumption become a very popular matter all over the world. Because, sustainable food consumption subject is directly related to economy, health, environment, and sociology. Thus, sustainable food consumption-related topics are involved in many of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. It seems one of the big problems of the future world is to obtain sustainability in the food system. Sustainable consumption of food can be provided by both efficient uses of natural resources and consumers’ increasing consciousness. However, it is difficult to suggest the existence of an accurate mechanism to educate adults in this way. According to our results specifically in the current situation and needs for education analysis report, it is obvious that there is a lack of education and awareness on sustainable consumption of foods. Therefore, it was aimed to assess and change adults’ food consumption behavior in a positive manner in this project. In order to develop an educational system to affect adults’ food consumption behavior; a detailed needs analysis, an accurate measurement tool, some educational materials and activities, and presenting all these together in various platforms were required. This project proposed such a system and consists of several stages. In the first stage, the aim was to exhibit a need for education. It has been done by creating a comprehensive report. Then, a valid, reliable, comprehensive, and inter-cultural index to measure the sustainable consumption of foods was developed. In order to execute the works in these stages extensive research with the experts, adult consumers, and extensive desk research were executed. In the third stage, the sustainable food consumption behaviors of adults were analyzed by using SCOFI which was developed in the previous stage. The results of the index together with the social and demographic variables were used the revealed the clusters of adults on sustainable food consumption. Each cluster was defined in detail and the educational needs were determined. In the meantime, a competence map was developed and provided by considering all partner countries. This map provides various comparisons of different types of adult consumers. In the fourth stage of the project, training materials such as; a book, brochures, booklets, videos, etc. were created. All these materials were presented and disseminated in various multiplier events, seminars/webinars, short-term joint staff event, and social media tools. In the last stage, digital platforms were created and enriched. All the materials that were developed during the project have been embedded into digital platforms. The reports, book, booklets, brochures, the competence map, the SCOFI self-assessment tool, videos, and many other training materials are available on the website and mobile application. In the meantime, the app has been thought to be gamification-based. By doing this it has been aimed to have a more usable and fun mobile app. These all outputs have been carried out to raise the awareness of adults on sustainable consumption of food, to raise the skills and competencies of adults on food consumption, to analyze the educational needs of adults in the frame of sustainable food consumption issue, to create tools for facilitating the understanding of sustainable consumption of food by using training materials. Thus all these aims have been achieved. On the other hand, six Transnational Project Meetings (Kick-Off transnational partners meeting (İzmir, TR), 1st Progress Meeting (Nitra, SL), 2nd Progress Meeting (Stockholm, SV- 3rd Progress Meeting (Aarhus, DA), 4th Progress Meeting (Mugla, TR), 5th Progress Meeting (Izmir, TR) were held successfully during the project. A short-term joint staff learning, teaching, training activity was held with the participant from 9 countries. Also, another internal 5-day seminar was organized for project participants to provide a better understanding of preparing effective training materials and tools. Many dissemination activities such as multiplier events, conferences, webinars, seminars, information stands, an international video contest, international indexed scientific journal articles, proceedings, etc. were conducted. During these activities, more than 145000 adults were informed and engaged via digital channels, in addition to more than 5000 adults that were contacted face-to-face. Our website was visited by users from 119 countries. Furthermore, at least 120 relevant institutions or organizations from various contexts such as companies, public authorities, international organizations, universities, cooperatives, research centers, public education centers, etc. participated in events.