How Our CHORIZO Project Aims To Shift Social Norms Toward Less Food Waste @CHORIZOproject As a set of rules commonly accepted by groups, social norms play a key role in guiding human behaviour. This is why shifting social norms can be a major lever toward better appreciation of food in society. Our three-year CHORIZO project takes an innovative approach to tackling the issue of food loss and waste through gathering insights on social norms in a range of food-related settings and generating effective ways to apply the behaviour change technique in six real-life case study contexts. “CHORIZO wants to close a knowledge gap by showcasing how social norms can be a tool to increase the impact of food loss and waste solutions. As CSCP we are excited to be part of this consortium and contribute with our combined expertise on food waste gained in projects such as the Dialogue Forum, REFRESH and REIF as well as our behaviour change know-how, drawing on our experiences in successful capacity building programmes such as the Academy of Change or weiter_wirken”, says Nora Brüggemann, CSCP CHORIZO Project Director. Following the kick-off meeting in late 2022, the consortium has come together to develop a conceptual framework on how social norms will be interpreted and used across the project activities as well as search for insights from the most effective and promising food waste and loss actions from around Europe. These will then be used to inform the project’s further research. The work around the six CHORIZO case studies has also started. The case studies will be used to explore the impact of social norms on food waste and loss in different settings across Europe in order to explore how context affects impact. The six case studies will be: Households: Analysis of food loss in Flemish and Spanish households, looking at qualitative datasets on consumer motivations, attitudes towards food waste in times of crisis Hotels: Focusing on hotel food waste in Norway using qualitative datasets on consumer perceptions of hotel food, for example the portion size and buffets Restaurants: Exploring food waste in restaurants in Slovenia with qualitative datasets on consumer perceptions of restaurant food, for example leftover food and portion size Schools and children: Quantitative research on the impact of education and food waste literacy training on food loss and food waste in Denmark, looking at families’, households’ and childrens’ norms, attitudes, and behaviour Food Banks: Quantitative datasets on demand and supply of food surplus in Hungary focusing on consumer perceptions of food banks Date Marking: Exploration of date marking (“use by” and “best by”) and its effect on food waste in Spain using qualitative datasets on consumer opinions regarding date marking, the importance of taste, sustainability, and trust/confidence in a product as well as consumer perceptions about packaging in terms of perceived food shelf life. Are you aware of any great interventions to reduce food loss and waste in any of the case study contexts? Please reach out to us and share your insights and experiences! The CHORIZO project is funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research programme and will run for three years (2022-2025). The CSCP is part of a consortium of 14 European partners. For further questions, please contact Rosalyn Old.