1010353023786 Consumer ObservatoryClosedEU-FundedHorizon Europe GuaranteeThe EIT Food Consumer Observatory is an infrastructure umbrella programme aiming to combine EIT Food’s consumer insights knowledge in one place. This cross-functional initiative will reshape how EIT Food curates and maximises the impact of its consumer knowledge. This should be both a “reactive” resource, pooling EIT Food’s consumer data in one place for use by EIT Food staff and partners, and a “proactive” tool that drives the strategic agenda, calls and activity focus by highlighting key consumer themes and trends that can be proactively promoted to EIT Food’s key audiences and the media. The model will provide a continuous feedback loop between the data, trends, external audiences, media, panels, internal teams, network partners and academics. To ensure future EIT Food activities are guided by the latest insights and trends, the project will set up an early warning/ trendspotting system that highlights upcoming consumer trends and concerns. This trend spotting system will incorporate advisory boards with industry players, policy makers and other potential “trend spotters”. A consumer insights database populated by consumer data from AIT food funded projects will help position the eat food partnership at the forefront of insights on the latest food and food innovation trends. The existing EIT Food projects on trust will be incorporated into the Consumer Observatory as part of the ongoing insight initiative. Consumer trust measurement will continue to provide EIT Food with scientifically backed data on consumer trust trends. This project is expected to contribute to financial sustainability through various commercial opportunities such as selling access to the audiences/data for customised projects. This will also significantly elevate EIT Food’s PR and social impact within the food industry generally. University of Reading’s role within the Consumer Observatory project is to support and guide the continuation of EIT Food’s Consumer TrustTracker® infrastructure project, led by University of Reading since 2017. In alignment with other EIT Food trust projects, The TrustTracker® annual survey will be developed to track developments relating to consumer trust trends in a number of relevant areas, including alternative proteins, food waste, and healthy and sustainable food consumption. These issues are driven by EIT Food’s strategic agenda and the farm to fork strategy for which it is crucial to track consumer trust-related attitude changes over time. The TrustTracker® will therefore provide novel insights on how to explain food consumption trends which will feed into EIT Food strategic and business planning.