The multiplier event of the “Assessing and Changing Adults’ Behavior on Sustainable Consumption of Food-SUSCOF” Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership Project (2018-1-TR01-KA204-058739) was held by DEU on December 17, 2021. The event was organized as a panel entitled “Sustainable Consumption of Food: Role of Stakeholders in Creating Behavior Change in Consumer” which consisted of an opening ceremony and speeches, dissemination of project outputs, activities, and results, keynote speech by the representative of FAO, and three panels and discussion sessions.

Representatives from the Provincial Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and 11 district organizations, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the provincial directorate of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, the municipality, non-governmental organizations, universities, the media, and the private sector participated in the dissemination event.

The all-day event was completed with an opening session followed by 3 sessions. In the opening session, project coordinator Zeki Atıl Bulut shared general information about the project and the results of the project. Oktay Darcan, Deputy Provincial Director of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, drew attention to the projects carried out by the Ministry for the sustainable consumption of food. As an invited speaker (FAO), FETUR Program Support and Project Coordinator Mehmet Tarakçıoğlu made a presentation titled “Sustainability of Consumption and Production under Food Systems Conceptualization- FAO Programme. He shared the data of the projects carried out by FAO on Sustainable Food Systems and nutrition.

The first session, titled “Sustainability in the Journey of Food from Farm to Table”, was moderated by project coordinator Zeki Atıl Bulut; Arçelik Small House Appliances Food and Beverage Preparation Team Leader-Can Arer, Pınar Et Quality Assurance Director and Sustainability Leader-Yüksel Soyubelli and Bortar Group Catering Services Food Engineer-Umut Üzen. In the session, the importance of carbon and water footprint in terms of sustainable culinary experience, changing consumer habits, and sustainability in food production was mentioned.

The second session was moderated by Onur Doğan, one of the project researchers, with the title “Household-Sized Food Consumption and Waste”; Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine-Prof. Dr. Nazan Uysal Harzadin, Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Engineering- Prof. Dr. Görkem Akıncı, Ege University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences-Assoc. Burcu Türkcan and İzmir Provincial Directorate of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Environmental Engineer-Leman Erol. In the session, the economic, ecological, and health dimensions of sustainable food consumption were discussed within the framework of the participants’ questions.

The third session “What Should Be Done for Conscious Food Consumption? With the title of “The Role and Contribution of Stakeholders in Adult Education”, under the moderation of Dokuz Eylül University Continuing Education Center Deputy Director Engin Deniz Eriş; Ege University Faculty of Agriculture-Prof. Dr. Tayfun Özkaya, Agricultural Engineer, Organic Agriculture Consultant-Nurhayat Bayturan, CoDNA Center for Sustainable Business Genetics-Fulya Şenbağcı Özer, Bortar Group Executive Chef-Atilla Yıldız. The session discussed the role of stakeholders in conscious food consumption, farmer-consumer solidarity economy, community-supported agriculture, and awareness-raising within the public.

The effectiveness of disseminating project results was completed interactively and efficiently with the 142 participants, 113 out of DEU, who were representatives of the ministry, municipality, provincial directorates, non-governmental organizations, universities, media, and the food industry. In total 14 panelists/speakers were given speeches during the sessions and the question-answer section at the end of each session.