(08 June 2020) – A consortium of volunteers with collaborators from ECOLISE and the Transition Towns Network has designed and launched a short questionnaire, in 12 languages, on ordinary people’s changing behaviour and attitudes to their food arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The purpose of the survey is to provide strong scientific evidence and a basis for further research across the whole food system. The researchers will examine the role of ordinary people, communities, and bottom-up initiatives, alongside market and governance actors, using a social innovation and citizen science lens. In the next phase, they would be happy to work with other organisations and share their data.
Food is, of course, the single biggest source of CO2 emissions, by far the biggest user of freshwater, and by far the biggest cause of species extinction and habitat loss. The researchers are also focusing on food poverty, vulnerability and exclusion as this is becoming even more acute and exacerbated in many countries by the pandemic and its aftermath.
Everyone can participate using the language with which they are most comfortable, regardless of where they live globally.
The questionnaire is open until the end of June with analysis commencing in July and, although there is already a large number of responses and compelling initial results, the consortium is looking for many more to cement the scientific robustness of the data they are obtaining.