Despite the growing body of research on sustainable food systems (SFSs), empirical and locally grounded studies examining the drivers and barriers of urban food system (FS) transformation in Central and Eastern European cities remain limited, particularly from the dual perspectives of citizens and organized initiatives. Urban SFSs have significant potential to improve both public and planetary health. Therefore, this study aims to identify the drivers and barriers to a SFS in Warsaw from the perspectives of households and transition initiatives, following the SysOrg project framework. Data were collected using a mixed-methods approach, combining a household survey (HHS) (N = 449) and semi-structured interviews (SSI) with local initiatives (N = 5), across three key dimensions: sustainable and healthy diets, organic food and farming, and food waste reduction. The results indicate that all three domains share common barriers, including budgetary constraints, limited awareness and knowledge, insufficient institutional support, and data gaps, with outcomes significantly influenced by gender, age, income, and education. Key drivers identified include awareness-raising, improved availability and infrastructure, and policy support, particularly at the municipal level. The findings highlight the interconnectedness of the three project perspectives—diet (D), organic food and farming (O), and food waste (W)—and identify critical leverage points for sustainable transformation, such as targeted policies and incentives, green public procurement, education, and supportive food infrastructure. This study addresses the existing knowledge gap in urban FS research and provides actionable insights for policymakers, municipalities, and local initiatives in Warsaw. Furthermore, it serves as a preliminary resource for other European cities engaged in the development of food policies, particularly for less-explored municipalities in the field of SFS that share similar dynamics with the Polish capital, such as those within the Visegrad Group. • Researched perspectives – diet, organic, waste – share similar drivers and barriers. • Barriers included i.a. budgetary constraints, lack of awareness and knowledge, attitude-behavior gap. • Main drivers involved education, green public procurement, and supportive food infrastructure. • Drivers and barriers are influenced by external factors like gender, age, income, education. • Research showed interconnectedness of the three perspectives – diet, organic, waste.
Góralska-Walczak et al. (Fri,) studied this question.