Raising citizen awareness on alternative proteins derived from biotechnology

The proposal is expected to help public understanding and awareness of the use of alternative proteins produced through biotechnology and to contribute to counteracting misinformation in this area. It should support, as appropriate, educational interventions and information dissemination on the transition towards diets based on alternative protein sources, in particular those derived from biotechnology. The proposal should also address which (new) food products offer market opportunities and where the potential of their production is and which accompanying measures (hygienic conditions, dissemination campaign, etc.) are necessary so that consumers are aware and open to include alternative proteins produced through biotechnology in their diets.

The proposal should address all the following activities:

• establish a collaborative science-based information programme to enable citizens understanding of the dietary shift towards alternative proteins produced from biotechnology by launching a survey on citizens consumption patterns and dietary choices;
• improve the transfer of scientific knowledge at different levels (different actors and different territorial/geographical areas and socio-economic groups) with a collection of data on the perception, behaviours and understanding of citizens of alternative protein sources derived from different biotechnological applications;
• produce technical and dissemination material based on scientific evidence and knowledge, encompassing the technical and hygienic processing conditions for the production of alternative proteins through biotechnology and eventual consumption;
• provide recommendations for updating and improving educational curricula in schools and in other educational institutes as appropriate and in accordance with any applicable national, regional and local obligations;
• include the use of diverse communication media (e.g. social media, radio, TV, newspapers) to effectively disseminate information and engage with a broad audience.

The proposal should take into account the preliminary results developed by the project B-Trust [[ Co-creation methodology for biotechnology trust-building measures for improved innovation uptake in the bio-based innovation system | B-TRUST | Project | Fact sheet | HORIZON | CORDIS | European Commission (europa.eu)]] funded under Horizon Europe and take advantage of and connect to European research infrastructures in the area of biotechnology such as EU-IBISBA.

Particular efforts should be made to ensure that the data produced in the context of this topic is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable).

The proposal should involve the effective contribution of SSH disciplines.

The proposal must implement the 'multi-actor approach' and ensure adequate involvement of all relevant stakeholders including citizens, civil society organisations, authorities, public and private institutes/institutions, value chain actors to ensure acceptability, awareness and deployment. The active participation and engagement of different stakeholders should span the entire project development and implementation to ensure performance and sustainability and maximise the final impact.

To maximise the impacts of R&I, the collaboration with international partners, in particular with those established in the United States, is encouraged.