The current food system is a significant cause of environmental degradation, and shifting to more sustainable diets is crucial for reducing environmental impact. Given that youth are in a critical period of identity formation, norms, and values, it is essential to focus research on sustainable food behaviors on this group. In addition, it is important that research accurately represents those with lower socio-economic positions as they may face greater barriers to adopting sustainable food behaviors due to lack of resources, perpetuating disparities in health, environmental sustainability, and social justice. Therefore, the FLY (Food-related Lifestyles in Youth) project investigates how sustainable food-related lifestyles develop in youth from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Given the vital role of social networks in shaping behaviour, the FLY project also addresses and mobilises youths’ social environment by studying how sustainable food behaviour and underlying mechanisms spread in social networks, and how community-level intervention strategies can support the transition to sustainable lifestyles. 

The project employs a mixed-methods approach, combining focus groups with experimental research, in which interventions are piloted and evaluated both quantitatively and qualitatively. First, a systematic review will be conducted to map effective community-level intervention components that target sustainable food-related behaviours. Second, focus groups are conducted to explore the barriers and facilitating factors with respect to capabilities, opportunities, and motivations that youth with practical-level education experience to transition to more sustainable food-related lifestyles. Thirdly, intervention approaches will be developed, partly in co-creation with youth, to target relevant COM-B elements: ambassadors as opinion leaders, peer-led interventions, public commitments, challenge-based interventions, and co-creation elements. The most promising components will be tested via an experimental research program. 

The intervention components that are developed are expected to directly influence the food decisions of the research participants and have the potential to impact young people in practical education nationwide, through the design of a community-level intervention toolkit. The mixed-methods approach ensures a rich and in-depth understanding of the barriers and facilitators of the SFrL transition. The co-creation approach ensures that the interventions are tailored to the specific needs and preferences of young people, increasing the effectiveness of the interventions. The innovative focus on building community-level capabilities, opportunities, and motivation to adopt (more) sustainable behaviour will be vital for catalysing change as social processes have the potential to facilitate or hinder the transition process. Taken together, the FLY-project has the potential to empower youth to become agents of change in their communities, creating a ripple effect that extends beyond individual behaviour change and contributes to systemic change in the food system.