UPWr part of SusPlant international project

For years there has been an increase in consumer concerns about environmental sustainability of the global food supply, animal welfare issues and ethical concerns about eating habits and the consequences of meat consumption on human health. Acceptance of plant-based foods is growing among consumers, and the industries producing them are growing in size. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are driving governments, companies, scientists and individuals to find new solutions and modify habits in order to meet them by 2030. 

The new cooperation project between Sweden, Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine and Moldova regarding plant-based diets, which is a step towards sustainable production and consumption, will examine the attitudes of the societies of the above-mentioned countries towards the consumption of meat and meat products, as well as the willingness of consumers and food producers to consume or produce meat substitutes from different types of plant-based raw materials. 

The project is financially supported by the Swedish Institute (SI), a public agency that promotes confidence in Sweden worldwide. The SI seeks to establish cooperation and lasting relationships with other countries through exchanges in the areas of culture, education, science and business. The project is led by Dr. Saeid Karkehabadi and Galia Zamaratskaija from the Department of Molecular Sciences at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), and the project team also includes the Swedish organisation RISE and the Kristianstad University, as well as international partners: the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, and the Agricultural State University of Moldova. In addition, food production companies from Ukraine and Moldova are important partners in the project. 

According to Galya Zamaratskaya, recent dietary guidelines recommend composing a diet based on plant-based food and limiting the intake of meat products. A diet rich in plant-based foods and low in meat products (especially red meat) is beneficial to our health and associated with a lower environmental impact. Sweden has, among others, introduced an environmental sustainability programme as part of its official national food strategy, but so far few countries have followed suit.

Prof. Małgorzata Korzeniowska is involved in the project on the side of the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences. – The UPWr's main task is to help develop the survey forms, conduct the survey on as large and diverse a population as possible, compile the results, and publish them. The project is expected to lead to the preparation of a joint application for a larger research project with EU funding - says Prof. Korzeniowska, Head of the Department of Functional Food Product Development and a member of the Leading Research Team Functional Foods of Plant Origin (Plants4FOOD).

In order to achieve the sustainable development goals you need to act internationally – so as to harmonise efforts for sustainable food production and consumption. The long-term goal of the project is therefore to open up opportunities and create optimal conditions for the production of plant-based food, and to improve consumption habits that contribute to the overall sustainability of the global food chain.

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