Discover Our 8-Step Approach to Integrating Social Norms into Food Waste Interventions @CHORIZOproject How do social norms shape our everyday decisions about food waste? The EU-funded project, CHORIZO set out to understand the role of social norms in food loss and waste (FLW). While the project did not test norm-shifting interventions in the field, it achieved something both concrete and useful: it identified which norms matter in different contexts and built this understanding into a practical design process that practitioners can start using right away. The EU wastes over 58 million tonnes of food every year—that’s about 130 kilograms per person. Reducing this waste is one of the quickest ways for Europe to cut emissions, save money, and promote fairness*. With the revised Waste Framework Directive now in force, EU Member States must meet binding food waste reduction targets by 2030: at least 10% less waste in food processing and manufacturing and at least 30% less waste per person across retail, restaurants, food services, and households, measured against the 2021–2023 baseline. By setting these binding goals, the EU has turned intention into obligation—making systematic, evidence-based intervention design, including social-norm checks, more important than ever. Over the last four years, the EU funded project, CHORIZO identified norms across different contexts and translated insights into capacity building and two open tools. Now, practioners are invited to use the actionable pathway to assess if norms matter in their context and plan rigorous trials. Digital tools to extend the work The CHORIZO Visualiser helps explore how messages might play out across contexts. The CHORIZO DataHub gathers documents and datasets on food loss and waste with an AI-supported search to quickly find relevant evidence. 8-step approach with social-norm considerations To support the outreach of the project’s knowledge, CSCP refined a hands-on method so that at each stage of an intervention design —from scoping to evaluation— food waste practitioners can assess whether a norm is relevant, how it operates, and how (or whether) to address it within broader interventions. Capacity building at scale Across seven lively sessions, over 125 professionals from cities, schools, and food-system organisations learned how to spot norms, decide if they’re leverage points, and integrate them into FLW strategies. From insights to design exercises In workshop settings (e.g., a school canteen scenario), participants approached norms such as “it’s okay to throw food away because it’s free.” Using the 8-step approach (which can be found here), they then co-designed possible responses, like making finishing meals socially valued, highlighting peer role models, or celebrating mindful eating as starting points for future testing, not as proven solutions. Food waste isn’t only about systems and logistics—it’s also about what people around us expect and accept. By mainstreaming social-norm checks into intervention design, CHORIZO makes it easier for practitioners to decide when norms are pertinent and how to approach them responsibly alongside other measures (procurement, menu design, portioning, pricing, nudges, and communication). Call to action Are you an actor working in reducing food loss and waste? We invite you to use the 8-step approach as your framework for real-world trials and evaluation. Moreover, share your experience with others on what works (and what doesn’t) via the DataHub so that we can jointly build a robust evidence base Chorizo was funded under the EU Horizon Programme and was implemented by the CSCP and a consortium of 13 European partners. For additional questions on the CHORIZO project, please contact Lea Leimann. *Eurostat 2025.