What determines our food choices? Why do we continue to eat too much, poorly or unsustainably, even when we know the benefits of a balanced diet? The answer is complex: our eating habits are not solely shaped by personal taste, but by a tangled web of cultural, economic, psychological and environmental factors. In a world where food is increasingly processed, readily available and often driven by marketing, eating well and sustainably has become far from straightforward.

Modern diets reveal a dangerous imbalance: consumption of foods high in sugar, saturated fats and animal protein is on the rise, while fruit, vegetables, pulses and whole grains are being increasingly neglected. This trend—fuelled by globalisation, urbanisation and misinformation—contributes to a rising incidence of obesity, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, alongside an increase in environmental impact.

It is in this context that Spoke 7, coordinated by Professor Matteo Vittuari of the University of Bologna, operates, focusing on three key concepts: Policy, Behaviour and Education—essential elements for steering the transition towards healthier and fairer food systems.

Spoke 7 brings together ten partners from universities and research institutes. Alongside the University of Bologna are the Universities of Parma, Milano-Bicocca and Pavia, as well as CREA and the Mario Negri Institute. The Spoke involves over twenty disciplines—from agricultural economics and law to psychology and computer science—in a truly interdisciplinary effort that demands strong listening skills and cooperation across very different fields.

The main goal is to develop tools and models to observe, analyse and forecast changes in food behaviours and agri-food policies, while promoting effective public actions, targeted educational programmes and communication campaigns. All of this with a clear purpose: to encourage healthy and sustainable diets, reduce food waste and improve public health.

This approach also builds on the experience of previous projects such as NudIFood and Su-Eatable Life, which have already demonstrated the effectiveness of targeted interventions in educational and collective catering contexts.

Spoke 7 projects operate on multiple levels: food education, food waste reduction, redesign of public food spaces, and engagement of families. These ambitious ideas have achieved concrete results, offering a wide range of new opportunities and improving the eating habits of large segments of the younger population.

• NUTRICO (Modelling healthy and sustainable diets by considering nutritional constraints) focuses on planning sustainable menus for canteens by integrating data on nutrition and environmental impact. The project developed MEALSOFT, software designed to facilitate the creation of meals that are nutritionally balanced and ecologically sound, specifically for collective catering.
   
• LIVELY (Multidimensional school-based and family-involved interventions promoting healthy and sustainable lifestyle for childhood obesity prevention) tackles childhood obesity through educational interventions in primary schools, actively involving both families and teachers. Initial results show increased physical activity and water consumption—promising signs of lasting behavioural change.
   
• FOODSERV (Sustainable public food service laboratory) applies a “living lab” model in 26 schools across Emilia-Romagna, testing solutions to make school canteens more sustainable. One concrete outcome has been the development of a regional monitoring framework that contributed to new regional guidelines for school meals.
   
• EDSUSDIETS (Curriculum application of educational and empowering models aimed at promoting healthy and sustainable diets in university canteens) focuses on university canteens, rethinking spaces, tools and messaging. The project introduced a mobile app that offers students personalised dietary advice, helping to reduce waste and increase the consumption of plant-based proteins.

These examples show how strategic environments such as schools and universities can foster virtuous behaviours and serve as models to be replicated in other contexts.

Despite the progress made, several critical issues remain. One of the most challenging is cultural resistance: eating habits are deeply ingrained and often linked to tradition and identity. Changing them requires time, empathy and active community engagement.

Furthermore, there is still a lack of alignment between local and national policies, and insufficient attention is paid to people’s intangible values—such as ethical or religious beliefs. Although digital technologies hold great promise, they risk excluding the most vulnerable groups, such as the elderly or those without access to digital tools. There is also a widespread perception—both practical and psychological—that eating healthily and sustainably is expensive and difficult.

Nevertheless, the current moment is favourable. At the European level, policies like the Green Deal promote food sustainability, while the UN’s 2030 Agenda provides a shared global framework. The collaborations developed through Spoke 7 are generating integrated, shareable methodologies that may leave a meaningful legacy beyond the project’s conclusion.

The future requires a shift in perspective. It is not enough to focus solely on schools or canteens—food literacy must be extended to workplaces, supermarkets, and local communities, reaching all social groups. The aim should be to develop policies grounded in robust scientific evidence, but also able to resonate with people by addressing their real-life circumstances, economic constraints and emotional needs.

To bring about this change, inclusive strategies are needed—ones that put people at the centre and give them the tools to understand, choose and act. Only in this way can we build a society in which eating well is not a privilege, but a universally accessible right, and where individual health advances hand in hand with planetary wellbeing.