Empowering Equitable and Emotionally Intelligent Transitions to Circular Food Systems

FOODWISE is designed to accelerate the transition to circular food systems by bridging the persistent gap between environmental awareness and actual consumption behaviour. The project brings together 13 partners from 6 European countries, integrating expertise in behavioural science, social innovation, business transformation, policy, and digital tools. FOODWISE will deliver a suite of evidence-based interventions, toolkits, and digital resources to empower citizens, SMEs, retailers, municipalities, and policymakers to adopt and scale circular practices. The project’s core innovation lies in combining behavioural intelligence and emotional engagement with systemic business and governance transformation. FOODWISE will map consumption patterns and circularity gaps across Europe, develop practical toolkits for retailers and SMEs, and pilot new models for citizen engagement and policy alignment. Key outputs include the Consumption Pattern Atlas, Circular Retail Playbook, SME Circularity Toolkit, Citizen Engagement Toolkit, and a Circularity Impact Dashboard for monitoring progress and impact. The project will deliver policy recommendations and governance blueprints to public authorities, fostering cross-sector collaboration and replication across regions. By embedding open science, gender analysis, and inclusive engagement, FOODWISE ensures ethical, impactful, and scalable results. Through targeted communication, capacity building, and strategic dissemination, FOODWISE will maximise uptake and long-term impact, contributing to reduced food waste, increased circular consumption, and measurable environmental, economic, and societal benefits. The project will support EU policy objectives, including the Circular Economy Action Plan, Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, and the Green Deal, positioning FOODWISE as a reference for systemic change in European food systems.