Daniel and Nina Carasso Foundation · 2019–2025

By the end of the last decade, access to healthy and sustainable food had become one of the major social challenges, especially in neighbourhoods where food poverty and health inequalities were deeply entrenched.

The Daniel and Nina Carasso Foundation posed a key question:

How can we ensure that information, habits and opportunities for healthy and sustainable food reach everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic context?

UpSocial supported the Foundation in the design, testing and consolidation of an innovative model based on community ambassadors. Developed through three consecutive phases-FoodLinks, La Mesa and Albarrio-the process made it possible to evolve from a conceptual social lab to a territorial pilot implemented and evaluated in the neighbourhoods of Baró de Viver and Bon Pastor, in Barcelona.

Objectives

The project was designed with clear objectives:

• To generate evidence and learning to support expansion to other territories.

• To identify barriers and opportunities to improve adherence to healthy and sustainable eating patterns.

• To activate and train community ambassadors capable of disseminating rigorous and coherent information at neighbourhood level.

• To co-create and test a scalable community intervention model in three steps (co-design, training and activation).

Methodology

A progressive process combining knowledge, participation and action at the territorial level:

• Baseline research on eating habits and nutritional poverty.
• Participatory and territorial co-creation processes involving more than 100 people and 50 organisations.
• Specialised training for health professionals and community agents.
• Coordinated activation of messages and actions aimed at the general public.
• Real-world piloting and independent evaluation, both quantitative and qualitative.

The entire process was implemented through a network-based approach, integrating facilities, social organisations, public services, local businesses and residents.

Project phases

2019–2020 · FoodLinks

An initial exploration aimed at improving access to reliable information on healthy and sustainable food.

The work focused on:

• Analysing structural and cultural barriers related to food.
• Conceptualising the model based on community ambassadors.
• Defining a network-based approach and the first key content areas.

Outcome: foundations of the model and evidence of the need for a territorial pilot.

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2020–2022 · La Mesa – social lab

A space for collective experimentation to design, together with stakeholders from different sectors, a scalable three-step intervention model: community co-design, ambassador training and activation.

Key results:

• Development of a healthy and sustainable food decalogue with scientific advice.
• Identification of the role of community organisations as local prescribers.
• Creation of a replicable methodological framework.

This phase made it possible to move from an idea to a systematised design ready for piloting.

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2022–2025 · Albarrio -territorial pilot and evaluation

Real-world deployment of the model in the neighbourhoods of Baró de Viver and Bon Pastor, in Barcelona. Coordinated by UpSocial in collaboration with the Barcelona Public Health Agency (ASPB) and with the support of the Barcelona City Council, the pilot demonstrated the feasibility of the approach.

Key actions:

• Mobilisation of more than 100 people and 50 local organisations.
• Training of 84 community ambassadors in health and food.
• Two coordinated community campaigns disseminating 40 recommendations.
• A free advisory point, activities in local facilities, collaboration with the municipal market and tailored content for families.

Independent evaluation (2022–2025): improvements in knowledge, early changes in habits and increased quality of the information available in the neighbourhoods.

Impact and results

Key results

• Development and validation of an innovative community-based intervention model for healthy and sustainable food.

• Two full iterations of the model in Baró de Viver and Bon Pastor (co-design, training and community activation).

• Mobilisation of a strong network of community actors, public services and local businesses.

• 84 community ambassadors trained with high-quality scientific content.

• Communication campaigns with more than 1,500 messages and an 87% read rate.

• Scientifically endorsed food decalogue, ready for use in other territories.

• Quantitative and qualitative evaluation showing evidence of changes in habits and perceptions.

• Consolidation of Albarrio as a three-step methodology, available at albarrio.com/metodologia.

Impact generated

• Greater adoption of healthy and sustainable food practices at local level.

• Increased capacity of community networks to mobilise.

• Stronger links between health, sustainability and food accessibility.

• Availability of a replicable model for other neighbourhoods and cities.

Key learnings

• Rigorous information only builds trust when it is conveyed through local community ambassadors.
• Co-design with the community is essential to adapt interventions to the realities of each territory.
• Repetition through cycles helps consolidate cultural and behavioural change over time.
• Food system transformation requires alignment between health, sustainability and economic accessibility.
• Finally, when effectively activated, community networks have enormous potential to promote healthy and sustainable habits at local level.

Clients and partners

—Daniel & Nina Carasso Foundation (FDNC)