The weather is getting cooler and the leaves are changing colour; yes autumn is upon us. And in the weeks ahead, as the evenings draw closer, the LiveWell for LIFE team will be busy preparing our final conference! This will take place in Brussels 11 December and promises to be an exciting, interactive and tasteful event. Sustainable food consumption: catalysing change will be an opportunity for members of the Network of European Food Stakeholders and our wider group of stakeholder to meet, eat and network. In addition to presenting our final LiveWell for LIFE recommendations, we’ll look at the need for a global food strategy, and the role policymakers and business leaders alike play in encouraging sustainable consumption.
Unable to attend? You can follow the proceedings on #LWevents14
But as always, let’s look back at some of our highlights from the last few months and what’s happening around Europe.
LiveWell for LIFE’s third stakeholder workshop
On Monday 24 March 2014, This workshop, coined Facilitating the adoption of healthy, sustainable diets in the EU, took place in Brussels 11-12 June 2014. Almost 80 members of the Network of European Food Stakeholders met at Thon Hotel to discuss implementation pathways and policy options for the adoption of healthy, sustainable diets. We then rolled up our sleeves and spent a day prioritising the implementation pathways and policy options identified.
LiveWell’s inaugural twitter chat
We hosted our first-ever LiveWell Twitter chat 30 July – A guide to a healthy sustainable life: How to adopt the LiveWell diet in six steps. It was a great success and exceeded our expectations! A varied range of people – representing Tesco, Euro Commerce, FCRN, Eating Better, Nestlé, Food Ethics Council and the Soil Association to name a few – interested in sustainable consumption joined the conversation, shared their ideas and insights, and generated a very tasty debate. Follow #LWchats14 to find out when the next LiveWell chat will take place.
The LiveWell roadshow continues
The LiveWell for LIFE stand continues its tour of Europe! Since our last newsletter, we’ve been at the BSA Food Study Group in London and promoted healthy, sustainable diets at the Woking Food and Drink Festival. And, we’ll be at Nourish Scotland in Glasgow in October and the European Resource Forum in Berlin, Germany in November. Come and see us if you are at any of these events!
BSA Food Study Group Conference
LiveWell was present at the 4th British Sociological Association Food Study Group Conference at the end of June. This conference brought together researchers, practitioners and policy makers with the aim to explore and showcase the most cutting edge research and practice from within and beyond the sociology of food.
Woking Food and Drink Festival
The 2nd Woking Food and Drink Festival returned to this lively British town 5-7 September 2014 and was another mouth-watering ‘feastival’ for foodies and all the family. Our Living Planet Centre was open on Saturday 6 September as part of the family-friendly ‘Fairtrade food and family quarter’. LiveWell was there, offering hands-on family activities like drawing your favourite balanced meal!
Nourish Scotland
LiveWell joins Nourish Scotland at their 5th annual conference titled Our Common Wealth of Food. Together with government representatives, food producers, community groups, universities and research institutes, NHS, schools and local government, we’ll explore whether we can take a Common Wealth approach to food.
Please come and see us!
European Resources Forum 2014
LiveWell will be present at the 2nd European Resources Forum which takes place in Berlin, Germany 10-11 November 2014. Here, European decision-makers and experts from the fields of policy development, industry, academia, civil society and the media will meet to discuss sustainable resource use through a political and scientific lens.
If you’re attending the European Resource Forum, please come and find us at the LiveWell stall! We’re one of only twelve exhibitors!
Our new, tasty shopping guide
We have produced a colourful wallet-size shopping guide to help people adopt a healthy, low-carbon diet. Have a look and let us inspire your food choices!
WWF Sweden: preparing for the general election
As Sweden prepared for its general election – which took place 14 September – WWF Sweden took the opportunity to ask all the political parties three questions related to food. Their answers were captured in their Panda ranking.
WWF France: report on the new agriculture, food and forest bill
The French Parliament and Senate, has adopted the new French law on the future of agriculture, food and forest. With this bill, WWF expects effective improvements with the implementation of a French food and agriculture policy.