Page - 23 - in options, Volume summer 2021

Malnutrition is growing among European adults, as more than half of the population is overweight or obese, with very low adherence to recommended dietary needs. This also correlates to a recent increase in diet-related cardiovascular deaths. Additionally, the production of unhealthy foods is closely tied to negative environmental impacts. In the European Union, agriculture is responsible for 10% of greenhouse gas emissions and losses in reactive nitrogen, which poses a substantial risk to air, soil, and water quality. IIASA researchers Stefan Frank and Petr Havlik contributed to research that looked at consumer-side interventions and how effective they may be in helping European adults transition to diets that are both more nutritious and environmentally sustainable. The study combined the implementation of dietary targets derived from nutritional insights of recent literature with modeling that incorporates the overall socioeconomic context, and return food system implications of these diet policies. The models solve for the necessary price changes to reach these dietary shifts at EU population level. “Recent research clearly shows that unhealthy eating habits impact overall health and the environment,” notes Frank. “A combination of food group taxes, behavioral policies targeting consumer preferences, and supply side measures targeted at producers will help the EU hit its sustainable development goals by 2050. Our research contributes to a body of work that makes it increasingly clear that now is the time to act.” Misinformation is a problem that long pre-dates current times. However, social media and other digital technologies have made the spread of misinformation nearly universal and its impact far broader. When people use social media, they are using emotional reasoning, which greatly amplifies the impact of misinformation. This emotional reaction can lead to preconditions and prejudices, which result in discrimination, intolerance of differing viewpoints, and unjust treatment of certain social groups. Developing digital tools that deal with misinformation in social media may be the solution, according to new research. Co-Inform, an IIASA project funded by the European Commission, develops digital tools such as a browser plugin and a fact-checking dashboard to stimulate critical thinking and the desire for social media users to search for more information. The goal of these tools is to decrease the influence of instinctive and emotional reactions and activate more rational reasoning. Researchers involved journalists, citizens and decision makers in Austria, Greece, and Sweden to gain diverse perceptions and worldviews to create these tools. One of their primary goals was to preserve freedom of choice while avoiding censorship, and to create a variety of tools to increase their usefulness. “The co-creation of digital tools is invaluable for addressing misinformation online,” explains IIASA researcher Nadejda Komendantova. “However, journalists, policymakers, and citizens have very different expectations around the features of these tools. These expectations have to be addressed to increase the usability of the tools.” Co-creating digital tools to address misinformation in the social media age E U R O P E Analyzing environmentally sustainable diets in the European Union Regional impacts Nadejda Komendantova: komendan@iiasa.ac.at Petr Havlik: havlikpt@iiasa.ac.at Further info: pure.iiasa.ac.at/17013 Further info: pure.iiasa.ac.at/16950 Stefan Frank: frank@iiasa.ac.at 23Optionswww.iiasa.ac.at Summer 2021