Building trust in sustainable food systems: Insights from the CUES Regional Policy Dialogue in Budapest

On 29 September 2026, CUES brought together policymakers, researchers, consumer organisations and food-system actors in Budapest for the Regional Policy Dialogue “Building trust in sustainable food systems: labelling, public procurement and consumer engagement in Hungary.”

The event connected CUES research with experiences from Hungary, exploring how policy, public catering, food information and consumer engagement can better support sustainable food consumption. Contributions from the Fair Trade Advocacy Office (FTAO), ICLEI Europe, the Institute of Agricultural Economics (AKI), the Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (ÖMKi), Corvinus University Budapest and the Association of Conscious Consumers brought perspectives from across research, policy and consumer engagement.

From information to trust

A central message from the dialogue was that providing more information does not automatically lead to more sustainable food choices. Consumers already encounter a large amount of information, particularly through food labels. What matters is whether this information is clear, understandable and trusted.

Bringing the Hungarian policy perspective, Dr László Búza, State Secretary for Agri-Food, Food Trade and Food Literacy, highlighted the importance of moving beyond information towards food literacy, trust and understanding. His message that “labelling is the language of trust” reflected a recurring theme of the discussions: information can support better choices only when consumers can understand and use it.

Creating environments that support sustainable choices

Public catering was highlighted as an important space for putting sustainability into practice. Discussions pointed to opportunities for stronger cooperation with producers, more predictable procurement, and greater consideration of seasonality, nutrition and quality alongside price. Education, infrastructure and continuous dialogue between the actors involved are also important for creating lasting change.

The dialogue also explored the realities behind consumer choices. Affordability, availability, convenience, habits, culture and social norms can all influence whether positive attitudes towards sustainability translate into action. Information overload and the growing number of labels can also create confusion rather than clarity.

This reinforces an important principle at the heart of CUES: sustainable consumption cannot depend on individual consumers alone. People make decisions within wider food environments, and these environments can either enable or constrain sustainable choices.

Labels are important — but not enough

Discussions around organic products and quality labels in Hungary further illustrated the relationship between information, understanding and trust. Labels and certification can help consumers access information they cannot verify themselves, but they are effective only when people understand what they represent.

At the same time, clear information needs to be accompanied by affordability, accessibility, availability and education. Labels can therefore be an important part of the transition towards sustainable food consumption, but they cannot drive that transition alone.

A shared responsibility

The Budapest dialogue reinforced the importance of seeing sustainable food consumption as a shared responsibility. Policymakers, producers, retailers, public authorities, researchers, educators, civil society and consumers all contribute to shaping the conditions in which food decisions are made.

The insights gathered in Budapest will contribute to CUES’ wider work on consumer empowerment and policy change, supporting the development of food environments where sustainable choices are easier to understand, trust and put into practice.