WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY: ENVIRONMENTAL FOOD LABEL - EFL 2.0 LAUNCHES A NEW GENERATION OF LABELS TO REVEAL THE HIDDEN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF FOOD
- 8. Juni
- 3 Min. Lesezeit
The European project led by WWF Italy and developed with a broad partnership aims to provide consumers with more transparent, accessible and scientifically robust information on food sustainability, with a focus on soil health, biodiversity, circularity, farming practices and risks associated with microplastics
On 4 June 2026 - On the eve of World Environment Day, marked on 5 June, WWF Italy and its European partners launch Environmental Food Label – EFL 2.0, a European project designed to make the hidden environmental impacts behind food products more visible and easier to understand.
The project addresses a key challenge: environmental information linked to food products and their labels can still be difficult to read, compare, and trust. To address this gap, EFL 2.0 explores how existing environmental assessment methodologies used for food labelling can be strengthened through complementary indicators, with the aim of making information on the impacts of food more complete, transparent and accessible. The timing of the launch is not accidental. World Environment Day highlights the urgent need to address the environmental pressures generated by production and consumption systems, including food systems. Food production is one of the main drivers of pressure on nature. Yet these impacts are often difficult to recognise when people choose what to buy. Behind a food product there may be emissions, pressure on soils and biodiversity, use of natural resources, pollution and environmental risks that are not immediately visible to consumers. Making this information clearer and more reliable, by showing it on product labels, is therefore essential to help citizens, businesses and policymakers better understand the connection between everyday food choices and the health of the Planet.
Consumer research conducted at European level confirms a growing demand for clearer and more credible information on the sustainability of food products. Research from EIT Food’s Consumer Observatory shows that transparency and the reliability of environmental information are increasingly influencing food choices across Europe. This confirms the need to translate complex sustainability data into simple, practical and useful information that can guide everyday decisions.
Environmental Food Label – EFL 2.0 was created to contribute to a clearer, more comprehensive and scientifically robust way of assessing and communicating the environmental impacts of food.
Food, environment and health: an integrated approach
The environmental impact of food is not limited to climate change. To fully understand the footprint of food systems, it is also necessary to consider how agricultural production affects soils, ecosystems, biodiversity, the use of natural resources, and other environmental pressures.
EFL 2.0 also explores the links between environmental and nutritional dimensions, ontributing to the reflection on healthier and more sustainable diets. The project’s approach is consistent with the One Health perspective, which recognises the interconnection between human health, ecosystem health and healthy and sustainable food systems.
A European interdisciplinary partnership for more transparent food systems
EFL 2.0 brings together a European partnership of non-governmental organisations, universities, research centres and agri-food value chain stakeholders, with complementary expertise across scientific, regulatory, communication and market fields.
The project is coordinated by WWF Italy and involves the Council for Agricultural Research and Economics – Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, the University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Environmental Coalition on Standards (ECOS), Aarhus University, the University of Tuscia, the University of Siena, Federazione Italiana Agricoltura Biologica e Biodinamica (FederBio) and pOsti. Environmental Food Label – EFL 2.0 is a European project co-funded by EIT Food with the support of the European Union.
Following the launch, the project will continue with stakeholder engagement activities, technical and scientific research and, in 2027, an in-store testing phase in selected retail outlets, designed to assess understanding, trust and purchasing behaviour in relation to the solutions developed.