Moving Forward Together: CHOICE Celebrates Nine Months of Progress
On the 2nd of July 2024, the CHOICE project consortium reached an exciting milestone as we gathered online for our first plenary meeting. Entering the ninth month of the project duration, partner representatives from Europe, Colombia and South Africa gathered to showcase their so far achievements, refine collaborations, and plan the next steps toward our ambitious goals of driving behavioural and lifestyle changes in the Agriculture, Food, and Land Use sectors contributing to global sustainability goals.
Dive into developments
Meeting Highlights
During the meeting, the following aspects of the project were discussed, focusing on progress and next steps:
- Project Coordination: The ICCS coordination team shared updates on data privacy, risk, and quality management activities, discussing actions foreseen to enhance partner collaboration.
- Stakeholder Mapping and Behavioural Modelling: ATHENA behavioural scientists reported progress on mapping stakeholders and modelling behavioural changes while sharing planning for the design of pilot campaigns. LIBRA colleagues introduced the under-development CHOICE A/B testing platform, to evaluate and boost engagement campaigns.
- Improving and Mainstreaming IAMs: IIASA, RU, and SDSN climate modelling experts presented advancements in enhancing CHOICE IAM models and discussed their plans for developing the project’s user co-design interfaces.
- Immersive Enablers and Data Storytelling: Inoqo, ICCS, LIBRA, and IIASA partners showcased the status of the CHOICE digital applications, the CHOICE “Climate Survivors” Game, and the Data Storytelling method and design system development. These immersive enablers will be adapted to promote sustainable food practices and motivate climate-friendly behaviours during the CHOICE pilot demonstrations commencing in August 2025.
- Co-designing Scenarios for Food System Transformation: IIASA team presented the development roadmap on developing scenarios implemented in CHOICE IAMs, covering key food system interventions.
- Pilot Demonstrations: ICCS outlined the roadmap for CHOICE pilot demonstrations, crucial for testing and refining the CHOICE solutions in practical settings.
- Impact and Outreach (WP7): LIBRA, NOA, and INO teams discussed the already established strategies to achieve impact creation goals and facilitating outreach and exploitation activities.
Path Forward
Strategies and Plans for Sustainable Success
Throughout the meeting, all partners evaluated the progress made, discussed the challenges faced, and identified potential risks and mitigation strategies. Our interdisciplinary experts collaborated throughout the day to define future roadmaps to ensure we stay on track. The meeting ended with a wrap-up of critical actions, the agreed-upon schedules, and a look ahead to our next in-person meeting in the coming months to further solidify our progress.
Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to drive forward with the CHOICE project, working together to achieve a sustainable future in the food sector.
