The SPOON Impact Board is officially set to support the implementation, monitoring and continuous improvement of our Citizen Science Labs (CSLs). The new body gives the consortium a shared space where experiences from SPOON’s different pilot locations can be discussed, lessons learned exchanged, and recommendations formulated to strengthen both the Citizen Science Labs and the Behaviour Change Interventions (BCIs) that follow them.

The Board brings together three complementary groups:

• CSL coordinators, who contribute direct, on-the-ground experience from implementing the Citizen Science Labs;
• Key partners from the SPOON consortium, who bring methodological expertise and ensure alignment across the project’s different strands of work;
• External experts, at least one per pilot, who provide independent scientific, methodological and practitioner perspectives on sustainable food systems, citizen science and participatory approaches.

The external experts include organisations and individuals across academia, public authorities, civil society and food-system practice with relevant expertise in each pilot region. To streamline engagement, the consortium designed a common framework so that, where appropriate, the same experts can also serve as Knowledge Brokers, helping translate scientific knowledge into language and formats accessible to citizens and local communities.

The Board’s ambition will come into full view at its first annual meeting, planned for autumn 2026, which will bring together CSL coordinators, project partners, and the appointed external experts. The meeting will mark the transition from setting up the Board to its full operation, reflecting on the first CSL iterations, exchanging experiences across pilot locations, discussing emerging findings, and setting the direction for peer learning, continuous improvement and the design of upcoming Behaviour Change Interventions.

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Cover photo by Redd Francisco on Unsplash