OECD governments are increasingly taking action to promote social connectedness and reduce social isolation and loneliness, and several OECD countries have launched national strategies to boost connectedness in recent years. At the international level, the OECD, the European Commission and the World Health Organization (through its Commission on Social Connection) have conducted research and knowledge exchange activities to support these efforts and advance the agenda of putting social connections firmly on the radar of policymakers. These governmental efforts are also being supported by increasing international co‑ordination amongst non-governmental actors and researchers, such as through the Global Initiative on Loneliness and Connection (GILC).
This report builds on these efforts, and notably the 2025 report Social Connections and Loneliness in OECD Countries, taking the example of food and food-centred activities to contribute to practical knowledge on how government and non-government actors can work together to boost opportunities and spaces for connection within communities. The case studies considered in the report indicate how growing, preparing, and eating food with others can provide accessible and adaptable ways to improve connectedness and broader well-being outcomes, as well as highlighting issues for well-designed programme implementation with broad relevance for activities beyond food, such as volunteer support, models for cross-sector collaboration, and the need for robust evaluation evidence.
The report was prepared by the OECD Centre on Well-being, Inclusion, Sustainability and Equal Opportunity (WISE), under the direction of Romina Boarini. It was co‑authored (in alphabetical order) by Jessica Mahoney, Tom Schraepen and Kate Scrivens, with editorial inputs from Lara Fleischer and Carrie Exton, and research assistance from Danielle Provost. Martine Zaïda, Anne‑Lise Faron and Taylor Kelly provided support throughout on communication co‑ordination and formatting. The report was undertaken with the support of the Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
This publication draws on valuable interviews and insights from representatives of the featured case studies in Chapter 2: Orion Kriegman, Founding Executive Director (Boston Food Forest Coalition); Megumi Hikichi, Founder (WATALIS); Jamie Sadler, Managing Director and Co-Founder (Men’s Pie Club); Polle Janssens, Executive Director (Resto VanHarte); Holly Griffin, Founder and Manager (Share Kai); Community Dining Spaces Programme (The Secretariat of Social Welfare, City of Cali); Thomas Dryburgh, Planning and Partnership Co‑ordinator (City of Melbourne’s Community Meals Subsidy Programme); and the Federal Multi-Generational House Programme (Ministry of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, Germany). In addition to the featured case studies, the publication also benefited from interviews with representatives from the following organisations: Autonomous University of Querétaro, Mexico; DaneAge Association, Denmark; Cooking Kids, Slovenia; City of Ghent, Belgium; Vejle Municipality, Denmark; Hyper Voisins, France; People’s Movement Against Loneliness, Denmark; Medina Community Centre, Switzerland; North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit Ontario, Canada; and Wolne Miejsce Foundation, Poland.
The publication also benefitted from the valuable comments of delegates from the OECD Working Party on Social Policy (WPSP). We are also grateful for comments received from Hans Rocha IJzerman (Annecy Behavioural Science Lab); Julianne Holt-Lunstad (Social Connection & Health Lab at Brigham Young University), and Céline Giner, Agricultural Policy Analyst in the Agro-food Trade and Markets Division of the OECD Trade and Agriculture Directorate.