With KISMET, we have contributed to change our ‘destiny’ and transform the current unfavourable food systems in cities and regions around the Baltic Sea to sustainability. The project has tackled the challenge that local and regional authorities often lack capacity, require new impulses or need innovative solutions for realising more circular and sustainable food environments. Since this target group is key for different fields such as food waste, procurement, health, business promotion, food policy or environment, KISMET has provided them with concrete instruments and tools for working better with 1. governance, 2. the demand-side and the 3. production side. These three components were part of the overall solution “Enabling Programme for sustainable food environments” which was developed by the 13 project partners and has been finalized by the end of 2024. It entails a mix of concrete different digital formats (tools, documents, scripts, videos, infographics, etc.) for easy handling and is available here.

Regular meetings and workshops encompassing all project partners have inspired good practice sharing and cooperation, while the 22 openly accessible digital "Coffee with KISMET" events promoted transnational learning and were frequently visited by numerous external guests. KISMET established eight Local Innovation Partnerships – in which the target groups were represented as partners and associated organisations – and piloted the solution in these eight cases.

The project partners then have teamed up with nine “friendship cities” beyond the partnership – from small cities up to a Scandinavian Capital – to transfer the findings and solutions to further target groups. Jointly, the partners and the friendship cities have tested and implemented particular elements of the solution. Target groups are better equipped now to eventually change consumer behaviour for good, create circular business opportunities and make food chains and production more regional so that societies can make a big step towards climate-neutrality. The transfer activities to the friendship cities have created results from school meal reforms and municipal food strategies to innovative procurement models and community-driven food culture.

Outcomes of the KISMET project in the Local Innovation Partnerships include food waste reduction and data-driven policymaking to plant-rich menus, bio-districts, and local food branding. Taken together, the pilots demonstrate that sustainable food system transformation requires more than technical fixes. KISMET’s key achievements include for instance:

• Stronger governance and political commitment, supported by data, strategies, and long-term roadmaps
• Local Innovation Partnerships that connect public authorities, businesses, researchers, and citizens
• Demand-side change, from school food reform to public procurement, food education, and waste reduction
• Supply-side innovation, supporting local producers, short supply chains, organic farming, and plant-based markets
• Replicable tools and models, such as databanks, bio-district frameworks, food strategies, and matchmaking platforms
• Capacity-building and awareness, empowering chefs, decision-makers, students, and communities to adopt sustainable food practices

KISMET’s pilot results also show that local action can drive systemic change. By combining evidence-based policymaking, stakeholder engagement, and practical experimentation, the project has built lasting institutional capacity ensuring that the progress continues.