The article analyzes citizen participation processes in the context of food policy and their ability to achieve consensus on controversial issues. It examines the “Citizens' Assembly on Nutrition” (2023/2024), the “Citizens' Assembly on Climate” (2021), and the “Citizens' Dialogue on Sustainable Nutrition” (2022/2023). In these processes, randomly selected citizens develop policy recommendations under the guidance of experts. Key recommendations include improving the provision of healthy and sustainable meals in public institutions, promoting sustainable dietary practices through financial and fiscal measures, and introducing an environmental and health label for food products.

These recommendations largely align with scientific recommendations and political goals. The article highlights that citizens demand an active food policy in favor of healthier and more sustainable dietary patterns and are capable of engaging with complex issues and adopting a perspective that includes both state and civic interests. The respectful and consensus-oriented dialogue fostered in these citizen participation processes contrasts sharply with the often polarizing political rhetoric and could counteract populist tendencies. Additionally, the importance of outreach participation is emphasized to actively include hard-to-reach population groups. Overall, the article demonstrates that citizen participation processes can be an effective means of developing and implementing broadly supported and consensus-oriented policy recommendations.

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