Dr. Johanna Meier

Dr. Johanna Meier

Dr. rer. oec.

Fellow

Team
Topics

Dr. Johanna Meier is a Fellow at Ecologic Institute, working in the fields of food, agriculture, and water. Her research focuses on the transformation of food systems towards greater sustainability and resilience, taking a holistic perspective that spans the entire food value chain – from agricultural production to supply chains and consumer behaviour. This includes work on agricultural and food policy at EU, national, and regional levels, with a focus on the support of more sustainable agri-food practices and the design of food environments that support healthier and more sustainable diets. She works in English and German.

Currently, Johanna Meier leads the evaluation of the German model regions programme "Eating better in the region", which examines regional approaches to supporting healthy and sustainable diets, with a particular emphasis on regional value chains and out-of-home catering. In addition, she leads the work on the analysis of the legal and policy frameworks shaping post-harvest food systems in the European research project Transforming European Food Systems (TrueFoodS).

Her previous work includes contributions to the Horizon 2020 projects MERLIN, which focused on the restoration of freshwater-related ecosystems, and SPRINT, which explored transition pathways towards more sustainable plant protection. Across these projects, a recurring area of expertise has been the role and reform of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy. Moreover, she has been involved in the project Sustainable Management: Socio-Ecological Transformation of the Food System (STErn).

Prior to joining Ecologic Institute, Johanna Meier worked as a research and teaching assistant at the Faculty of Management and Economics at Ruhr University Bochum, where she also completed her PhD. Her dissertation explored the impact of food environments on dietary choices, as well as economic determinants of water pollution. During her studies, she worked as a student research assistant at the Chair of International Economics, the Chair of Macroeconomics, and the RWI Leibniz Institute for Economic Research in the department of Environment and Resources.

Johanna Meier holds a PhD in Economics, an MSc in Economic Policy Consulting with specialisations in Environmental, Energy and Resource Economics and Quantitative Methods, and a BSc in Management and Economics from Ruhr University Bochum, Germany.

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Selected projects by Dr. Johanna Meier
ProjectTransforming European Food Systems (TrueFoodS)
 

Photo: Canva.com, TrueFoodS project, 2026

European food systems are facing significant environmental, social, and economic challenges. Despite ongoing efforts to address these challenges, the post-harvest phase – including first handling, processing, storage, transport, distribution, and waste management – has... Read more

Transforming European Food Systems (TrueFoodS)

Duration
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Funding
ProjectGuidance on Climate Resilient Landscapes
 

Bild von Markus Distelrath auf Pixabay

The Guidance on Climate Resilient Landscapes project, financed by DG CLIMA, will develop actionable guidance to strengthen climate resilience in Europe's rural landscapes. With floods, droughts, heatwaves, and wildfires becoming more frequent and severe, landscapes need... Read more

Guidance on Climate Resilient Landscapes

Duration
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Funding
ProjectHorizon 2020Mainstreaming Ecological Restoration of Freshwater Related Ecosystems in a Landscape Context (MERLIN)
 

© Josselin Rouillard

Europe's environment is in an alarming state, with climate change expected to further aggravate the situation. This substantially threatens economic prosperity, human wellbeing and social peace. Our society and economy need systemic transformative change, and ecosystem... Read more

Mainstreaming Ecological Restoration of Freshwater Related Ecosystems in a Landscape Context (MERLIN)

Duration
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Funding
ProjectHorizon 2020Sustainable Plant Protection Transition: A global health approach (SPRINT)
 
Currently, farming systems in Europe rely strongly on the use of Plant Protection Products (PPPs). Yet, the use of PPPs pose risks to both human and environmental health with pesticide exposure being associated with health problems, including reproductive issues and... Read more

Sustainable Plant Protection Transition: A global health approach (SPRINT)

Duration
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Funding
ProjectSustainable Management: Socio-Ecological Transformation of the Food System
 
STErn Ptoject Logo

© STErn

Between October 2020 and September 2023, policy recommendations for the transformation towards a sustainable food system were developed within the project "Socio-Ecological Transformation of the Food System" (STErn). The recommendations include short-, medium- and long... Read more

Sustainable Management: Socio-Ecological Transformation of the Food System

Duration
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Funding
Selected publications by Dr. Johanna Meier
PublicationPolicy BriefUsing the CAP to Reduce Pesticide Dependence
 

Photo: Canva.com, Cover: SPRINT project, 2025

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is the EU’s primary framework for translating agricultural objectives into farm-level action. With a substantial budget and flexible implementation through national CAP Strategic Plans under a common EU framework, it holds... Read more

Meier, Johanna; Bibu, Teodora & Riedel, Antonia (2026): Policy brief: Using the CAP to reduce pesticide dependence: Creating the conditions for structural change. Policy brief of the Horizon 2020 project “SPRINT”. Available at: https://sprint-h2020.eu

PublicationPolicy BriefRestoring Healthy Rivers and Wetlands
 

© MERLIN project, 2025

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is the main instrument of the European Union for shaping farming systems and rural landscapes. It faces the dual challenge of maintaining agricultural competitiveness and incomes, while addressing urgent ecological crises. With the... Read more

Meier, Johanna, Rouillard, Josselin, Nyírő, Fanni et al. (2025): Restoring healthy rivers and wetlands: How can agricultural policies support the uptake of water resilient farming practices? Policy brief of the Horizon 2020 project "Mainstreaming Ecological Restoration of Freshwater Related Ecosystems in a Landscape Context (MERLIN)."

PublicationBrochureComponents for the Transformation towards a Sustainable Food System
 
Image of a pig silhouette made out of rice grains on a dark background, surrounded by dill herbs and walnut pieces scattered at the bottom. Include a green banner at the top with the text 'Bausteine für die Transformation zu einem nachhaltigen Ernährungssystem' in bold white font, and a smaller green banner at the bottom with the text 'Für Mensch & Umwelt' alongside the logo of 'Umweltbundesamt' on the right side.

© German Environment Agency

Germany's current food system is not sustainable. The recently concluded research project "Socio-ecological Transformation of the Food System" (in short: STErn) outlines three strategies essential for a shift towards more sustainability: a more plant-based diet, more... Read more

Hanke, G.; Brunn, C.; Jägle, J.; Jánszky, B.; Meier, J.; Mering, F. v.; Quack, D.; Wolff, F. (2023): Components for the Transformation towards a Sustainable Food System; German Environment Agency, Dessau.

PublicationReportEntwicklung von politischen Handlungsansätzen für die Unterstützung stärker pflanzenbasierter Ernährungsweisen
 
Cover des UBA-Berichts "Entwicklung von politischen Handlungsansätzen für die Unterstützung stärker pflanzenbasierter Ernährungsweisen Teilbericht (AP3) des Projekts „Nachhaltiges Wirtschaften: Sozialökologische Transformation des Ernährungssystems (STErn)"

© Umweltbundesamt

This report summarises key findings and recommendations for a strategy to promote more plant-based diets. This strategy is key for a sustainable transformation of food systems as so far, there is a lack of binding policy targets for sustainable nutrition to guide... Read more

Quack, Dietlinde; Stephanie Wunder, Julia Jägle, Johanna Meier 2023: Entwicklung von politischen Handlungsansätzen für die Unterstützung stärker pflanzenbasierter Ernährungsweisen. Teilbericht (AP3) des Projekts „Nachhaltiges Wirtschaften: Sozialökologische Transformation des Ernährungssystems (STErn). Dessau-Roßlau: Umweltbundesamt. 

Recent content by Dr. Johanna Meier

Project
 
The TrueFoodS project, funded under the European FutureFoodS Partnership, aims to make Europe’s post-harvest systems more sustainable, equitable, and resilient. The project adopts an integrated Food Systems Approach that considers environmental, economic, social, and regulatory dimensions.

Transforming European Food Systems (TrueFoodS)

Sustainability, Equity, Governance and Resilience as Core Elements

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Publication:Report
 
The European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change (ESABCC) has published the report “Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in the Agri-food Sector – Recommendations for a Coherent EU Policy”. The report calls on the EU to better integrate climate mitigation and adaptation across the entire value chain. Its aim is to safeguard food security, strengthen farmers’ livelihoods and align the agri-food system with the EU’s climate goals.

Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in the Agri-food Sector

Recommendations for coherent EU policies

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Presentation:Speech
 
As Europe moves towards implementing the Nature Restoration Regulation, a central question comes into focus: how can freshwater restoration be financed at scale? At the joint policy event in Brussels, Dr. Josselin Rouillard presented MERLIN’s approach to addressing this challenge, combining practical tools, policy insights and financial innovation to support restoration on the ground.

The MERLIN Restoration Financing


Dr. Josselin Rouillard

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Publication:Book Section
 
As Europe seeks to restore its degraded freshwater ecosystems, a key question comes into focus: is the EU’s main agricultural policy delivering on its environmental promises? In a new paper published in the special issue Wetlands in a Changing Climate: Restoring Coasts and Floodplains, Dr Josselin Rouillard examines whether the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023–2027 is effectively supporting freshwater restoration.

Does the Common Agricultural Policy 2023–2027 Support the Restoration of Freshwater Ecosystems?

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Publication:Policy Brief
 
This policy brief assesses how relevant CAP instruments currently address pesticide use and identifies adjustments to better support and accelerate the transition toward more sustainable farming practices.

Using the CAP to Reduce Pesticide Dependence

Creating the Conditions for Structural Change

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Publication:Report
 
This report presents a strategic, evidence-based approach to support the upscaling of freshwater restoration and implementation of Nature-based Solutions across Europe. Central to the approach is the MERLIN Upscaling Workflow, a flexible decision-support tool that uses Europe-wide datasets to identify high-impact restoration areas.

Scaling up Freshwater Restoration and Nature-based Solutions in Europe

An evidence-informed workflow

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Publication:Policy Brief
 
With the 2027 deadline of the Water Framework Directive approaching and the new Nature Restoration Regulation mandating large-scale ecosystem recovery, the CAP’s role in safeguarding rivers, wetlands, and catchments has become critical. This Policy Working Paper argues that long-term agricultural resilience is inseparable from healthy freshwater ecosystems and illustrates how water restoration can be embedded in future agricultural policies to enhance water resilience.

Restoring Healthy Rivers and Wetlands

How can agricultural policies support the uptake of water resilient farming practices?

Year

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Project
 
The model regions programme "Eating Better in the Region" promotes innovative approaches to healthy and sustainable nutrition across Germany. Ecologic Institute and Technopolis Germany evaluate the extent to which the ten funded model regions achieve the five central funding objectives – ranging from increasing the use of organic products in out-of-home catering to reducing food waste – and what impacts they generate. The results serve to evaluate the funding initiative and provide insights and recommendations for the long-term continuation and transferability of successful approaches to other regions.

Eating Better in the Region

Evaluation of the Model Regions Programme

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Project
 
The Guidance on Climate Resilient Landscapes project, financed by DG CLIMA, will develop actionable guidance to strengthen climate resilience in Europe's rural landscapes. With floods, droughts, heatwaves, and wildfires becoming more frequent and severe, landscapes need to be managed in ways that help them absorb, recover from, and mitigate such events, supporting both ecological and human resilience.

Guidance on Climate Resilient Landscapes

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Read more