Aux racines du quotidien Un jeu de piste urbain pour réinventer notre cuisine de tous les jours [Everyday Roots – An Urban Treasure Hunt to Reinvent Everyday Cooking]

AI Quick Summary

Aux racines du quotidien [Everyday Roots] is a poetic and collective treasure hunt to encourage the general public to adopt sustainable cooking habits, in tune with the seasons. This project invites participants to explore and cultivate the roots of a simple, healthy, and sustainable cuisine in daily life. It is grounded in nature, creativity, pleasure, and the transmission of knowledge and practices. It draws on local products, techniques, and actors in short food supply chains and peasant agriculture. Moreover, it benefits from strong media anchoring through its creator, Sylvie Ramel, a regular chronicles contributor to Swiss public radio RTS – La Première. Beyond individual awareness, the project promotes alternative grocery models and supports collaboration with local producers to help bring simple, local, and meaningful food practices into the mainstream. Fundamental problem that the project is addressing and systemic hypotheses guiding my mainstreaming approachThe transition to healthy and ecological food is hindered by a well-documented gap between environmental awareness or positive attitudes and actual behaviours. This "attitude-behaviour gap" was extensively analysed by Kollmuss & Agyeman (2002), who showed that knowledge, environmental awareness, and good intentions are not enough to change behaviour. According to them, the gap stems from a complex interplay between internal factors (values, emotions, habits, lack of motivation) and external ones (socio-economic context, access to alternatives, social norms).In the field of sustainable food, this gap is particularly stark: many people express support for local or organic food but continue to consume processed or imported products—often due to perceived obstacles such as price, lack of time, or complexity of choices. How, then, can we move from a niche market to a broader societal shift?Meanwhile, the abundance of nutritional information is not enough to trigger deep behavioural change beyond a niche of already aware individuals. In fact, information overload can become a barrier, generating what has been called a "food cacophony," leading either to resignation or a perfectionist quest that ends in fatigue.More concretely, this project also aims to strategically support alternative groceries, a fragile yet fundamental link in the chain of sustainable food systems. The recent report by Les Artisans de la Transition (2024) shows that such stores have flourished in French-speaking Switzerland (+272.5% over 14 years) but remain structurally threatened—particularly zero-waste shops, 44% of which have closed since 2019. These small local businesses act as mediators between producers, processors, and citizens, while promoting values such as transparency, fair remuneration, social connection, and food education. Yet they face strong structural barriers, including a perceived elitist image, price concerns, isolation, and time constraints.By promoting daily gestures that reconnect cooking with short food supply chains, Everyday Roots aims to serve as a cultural and emotional lever, strengthening the visibility, viability, and community relevance of these spaces.The project draws on the behavioural tools of nudging, as theorized by Thaler and Sunstein (2008), and Community-Based Social Marketing (CBSM), developed by McKenzie-Mohr, to enable inclusive, desirable, and context-sensitive behavioural shifts. It leverages compelling storytelling, low-barrier actions, and a contagious public experience designed to shift social perceptions of sustainable food.Habits that I want to change or mainstream through this approach"Everyday Roots" acts as a cultural and emotional bridge between urban residents and short supply chain actors; especially alternative grocery stores, which serve as sites of distribution, education, and community connection. According to Les Artisans de la Transition (2024), these venues have quadrupled in French-speaking Switzerland since 2009 but face major economic challenges.This seasonal urban treasure hunt sparks curiosity for these often-overlooked stores by making them visible and desirable through illustrated cards, portraits, stories, and actions to explore. It promotes a shift in perception by highlighting their ethical practices, their potential as community learning spaces, and their role in food system transformation.Beyond playfulness, Everyday Roots actively supports the food transition by fostering synergy with organic shops, zero-waste stores, producer cooperatives, and participatory models. It also opens pathways for future collaborations—such as with food cooperatives or education initiatives—within a systemic vision of food justice and peasant agriculture as commons.Participants are encouraged to adopt simple, joyful, sensory and socially meaningful food habits:cooking with local, seasonal, minimally processed foods;using food scraps (e.g., vegetable tops), leftovers, and fermentation techniques;discovering edible wild plants nearby;sharing these habits within families, neighbours, or colleagues.The project is anchored in 12 illustrated, collectible cards distributed through partner venues (organic stores, markets, libraries, etc.). Each card provides:a sustainable cooking recipe or gesture;a QR code linking to an audio capsule, recipe, or video, integrating a phygital approach where printed materials interact with digital content, offering an augmented reality of everyday life (Baudrillard, 1983; Leclair, 2019);portraits of local producers and places of engagement;a clue leading to a final surprise.The treasure hunt culminates in a festive cooking battle, featuring three teams coached by invited green chefs, working with local and seasonal ingredients before a live audience.Extras include a participatory photo contest, public events, and hands-on workshops.Who will benefit from mainstreaming and howThis project is designed as a gentle but radical driver of transformation.Its primary target is urban parents aged 45 to 55, who often shoulder the daily cooking burden—amidst packed schedules, mental load, and a sincere desire to do well.By offering a space to breathe, "Everyday Roots" reconnects daily life, sustainable food, and intergenerational transmission.We believe that these “everyday makers”—often active, committed, yet overwhelmed—can become true catalysts of cultural change.Through joyful, grounded gestures rooted in real-life routines, the project builds a ripple effect: within families, among neighbours, in schools and workplaces.Meanwhile, "Everyday Roots" acts as an amplifier for alternative groceries, markets, libraries, and other public venues. It repositions them not just as service points, but as educational, emotional, and political third-places—strengthening their role in building resilient local food territories.This project doesn’t aim to persuade—it transforms public space into a site of sensory experimentation. It creates the conditions where desirable gestures also become possible.Team & RolesSylvie Ramel – Project initiator and lead (conception, content, coordination); founder of “Cuisine végétale. Un peu sauvage", trainer, political philosopher, and contributor to RTS – Première.Prof. Joëlle Mastelic (HES-SO Valais) – Social marketing specialist; provides scientific and methodological guidance.Graphic designer/illustrator – Visual design of cards and supporting materials.Audio professional – Recording, editing, and distribution of audio content.Local partners – Shops, markets, libraries, public administrations.Tested Ideas and Early FeedbackWeekly radio chronicles have aired on RTS – Première’s “Côté Jardin” since September 2023. They’ve revealed strong public enthusiasm for content that is accessible, inspiring, and immediately actionable. The program’s estimated audience is 300,000. This media collaboration is poised to become a key dissemination channel for the audio capsules.In addition, preliminary discussions with the sustainability officer of the City of Nyon have sparked immediate and keen interest in hosting a beta test of the project, in connection with the events planned around the dissemination of the Revue Durable current initiative on alternative grocery models.This enthusiasm also points toward the possibility of a closer collaboration with La Revue Durable.Booster GoalsCreate the treasure hunt prototype (12 cards + 4–6 audio capsules + game map).Pilot the initiative in three cities (Sion, Lausanne, Fribourg).Evaluate early feedback from users and partner locations.Organize a final cooking battle featuring 3 invited chefs.Strengthen partnerships (RTS, cities, local short supply chain actors, community associations, public administration, La Revue Durable).Implementation Scenario – Pilot PhaseEach pilot city will host the treasure hunt for 4 to 6 weeks.Launches will be paired with targeted communications (posters, local press, partner newsletters, social media).Cards will be distributed across a dozen key local venues (alternative stores, libraries, markets, community centers).Brief training will be offered to venue staff (e.g., store managers) to facilitate participant engagement.Both qualitative and quantitative tracking will be used (observations, QR feedback, logs, final form) to assess impact and identify challenges and levers.Participants who collect all the cards will be invited to apply for the final cooking battle.Development Scenario After the BoosterPost-booster, the format will be refined for broader rollout across ten cities in French-speaking Switzerland, supported by a national media campaign (especially RTS, and potentialle La Revue Durable).It will become a seasonal, recurring event with refreshed cards and gestures, and spin-off versions for schools, municipalities, and priority neighbourhoods.A digital platform may also be developed, allowing self-printable cards, community links, access to in-depth learning formats, and replication of the model in other regions.Booster ExpectationsStrategic links with public authorities for implementation.Support in structuring a replicable model (open source or licensed).Help formalizing audio formats suitable for national broadcasting via RTS – La Première.Expert NeedsAcademic partner: Joëlle Mastelic (HES-SO Valais).Graphic designer / illustrator.Audio specialist (recording + editing).Videographer / photographer for documentation and promotion.Budget (max CHF 22,500 including expert vouchers)Estimated total: CHF 22,500Design and printing: CHF 6,000Audio capsules: CHF 2,400Treasure hunt development: CHF 1,500Coordination, writing, press relations: CHF 2,300Artistic direction, educational content: CHF 3,600Scientific support (Joëlle Mastelic): CHF 3,000Expert vouchers: CHF 2,500Visual documentation (photo/video): CHF 1,200Selected BibliographyBaudrillard, J. (1983). Simulacra and Simulation. Semiotext(e).Kollmuss, A., & Agyeman, J. (2002). Mind the Gap: Why do people act environmentally and what are the barriers to pro-environmental behavior?Environmental Education Research, 8(3), 239–260.Leclair, J.-B. (2019). Le numérique au prisme de l’urbanité : Vers une réalité augmentée du quotidien. Revue URBIA, 21.McKenzie-Mohr, D. (2011). Fostering Sustainable Behavior: An Introduction to Community-Based Social Marketing (3rd ed.). New Society Publishers.Sunstein, C. R., & Thaler, R. H. (2008). Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness. Yale University Press.Artisans de la Transition. (2024). Rapport sur les épiceries alternatives en Suisse romande. La Revue Durable.

Project Idea Metadata

• Project Idea Name: Aux racines du quotidien Un jeu de piste urbain pour réinventer notre cuisine de tous les jours [Everyday Roots – An Urban Treasure Hunt to Reinvent Everyday Cooking]
• Date: 5/25/2025 3:43:42 PM
• Administrators:
  • Sylvie Ramel

Project Idea Description

Fundamental problem that the project is addressing and systemic hypotheses guiding my mainstreaming approach

The transition to healthy and ecological food is hindered by a well-documented gap between environmental awareness or positive attitudes and actual behaviours. This "attitude-behaviour gap" was extensively analysed by Kollmuss & Agyeman (2002), who showed that knowledge, environmental awareness, and good intentions are not enough to change behaviour. According to them, the gap stems from a complex interplay between internal factors (values, emotions, habits, lack of motivation) and external ones (socio-economic context, access to alternatives, social norms).

In the field of sustainable food, this gap is particularly stark: many people express support for local or organic food but continue to consume processed or imported products—often due to perceived obstacles such as price, lack of time, or complexity of choices. How, then, can we move from a niche market to a broader societal shift?

Meanwhile, the abundance of nutritional information is not enough to trigger deep behavioural change beyond a niche of already aware individuals. In fact, information overload can become a barrier, generating what has been called a "food cacophony," leading either to resignation or a perfectionist quest that ends in fatigue.

More concretely, this project also aims to strategically support alternative groceries, a fragile yet fundamental link in the chain of sustainable food systems. The recent report by Les Artisans de la Transition (2024) shows that such stores have flourished in French-speaking Switzerland (+272.5% over 14 years) but remain structurally threatened—particularly zero-waste shops, 44% of which have closed since 2019. These small local businesses act as mediators between producers, processors, and citizens, while promoting values such as transparency, fair remuneration, social connection, and food education. Yet they face strong structural barriers, including a perceived elitist image, price concerns, isolation, and time constraints.

By promoting daily gestures that reconnect cooking with short food supply chains, Everyday Roots aims to serve as a cultural and emotional lever, strengthening the visibility, viability, and community relevance of these spaces.

The project draws on the behavioural tools of nudging, as theorized by Thaler and Sunstein (2008), and Community-Based Social Marketing (CBSM), developed by McKenzie-Mohr, to enable inclusive, desirable, and context-sensitive behavioural shifts. It leverages compelling storytelling, low-barrier actions, and a contagious public experience designed to shift social perceptions of sustainable food.

Habits that I want to change or mainstream through this approach

"Everyday Roots" acts as a cultural and emotional bridge between urban residents and short supply chain actors; especially alternative grocery stores, which serve as sites of distribution, education, and community connection. According to Les Artisans de la Transition (2024), these venues have quadrupled in French-speaking Switzerland since 2009 but face major economic challenges.

This seasonal urban treasure hunt sparks curiosity for these often-overlooked stores by making them visible and desirable through illustrated cards, portraits, stories, and actions to explore. It promotes a shift in perception by highlighting their ethical practices, their potential as community learning spaces, and their role in food system transformation.

Beyond playfulness, Everyday Roots actively supports the food transition by fostering synergy with organic shops, zero-waste stores, producer cooperatives, and participatory models. It also opens pathways for future collaborations—such as with food cooperatives or education initiatives—within a systemic vision of food justice and peasant agriculture as commons.

Participants are encouraged to adopt simple, joyful, sensory and socially meaningful food habits:

• • cooking with local, seasonal, minimally processed foods;
  • using food scraps (e.g., vegetable tops), leftovers, and fermentation techniques;
  • discovering edible wild plants nearby;
  • sharing these habits within families, neighbours, or colleagues.

The project is anchored in 12 illustrated, collectible cards distributed through partner venues (organic stores, markets, libraries, etc.). Each card provides:

• • a sustainable cooking recipe or gesture;
  • a QR code linking to an audio capsule, recipe, or video, integrating a phygital approach where printed materials interact with digital content, offering an augmented reality of everyday life (Baudrillard, 1983; Leclair, 2019);
  • portraits of local producers and places of engagement;
  • a clue leading to a final surprise.

The treasure hunt culminates in a festive cooking battle, featuring three teams coached by invited green chefs, working with local and seasonal ingredients before a live audience.

Extras include a participatory photo contest, public events, and hands-on workshops.

Who will benefit from mainstreaming and how

This project is designed as a gentle but radical driver of transformation.

Its primary target is urban parents aged 45 to 55, who often shoulder the daily cooking burden—amidst packed schedules, mental load, and a sincere desire to do well.

By offering a space to breathe, "Everyday Roots" reconnects daily life, sustainable food, and intergenerational transmission.

We believe that these “everyday makers”—often active, committed, yet overwhelmed—can become true catalysts of cultural change.

Through joyful, grounded gestures rooted in real-life routines, the project builds a ripple effect: within families, among neighbours, in schools and workplaces.

Meanwhile, "Everyday Roots" acts as an amplifier for alternative groceries, markets, libraries, and other public venues. It repositions them not just as service points, but as educational, emotional, and political third-places—strengthening their role in building resilient local food territories.

This project doesn’t aim to persuade—it transforms public space into a site of sensory experimentation. It creates the conditions where desirable gestures also become possible.

Team & Roles

• • Sylvie Ramel – Project initiator and lead (conception, content, coordination); founder of “Cuisine végétale. Un peu sauvage", trainer, political philosopher, and contributor to RTS – Première.
  • Prof. Joëlle Mastelic (HES-SO Valais) – Social marketing specialist; provides scientific and methodological guidance.
  • Graphic designer/illustrator – Visual design of cards and supporting materials.
  • Audio professional – Recording, editing, and distribution of audio content.
  • Local partners – Shops, markets, libraries, public administrations.

Tested Ideas and Early Feedback

Weekly radio chronicles have aired on RTS – Première’s “Côté Jardin” since September 2023. They’ve revealed strong public enthusiasm for content that is accessible, inspiring, and immediately actionable. The program’s estimated audience is 300,000. This media collaboration is poised to become a key dissemination channel for the audio capsules.

In addition, preliminary discussions with the sustainability officer of the City of Nyon have sparked immediate and keen interest in hosting a beta test of the project, in connection with the events planned around the dissemination of the Revue Durable current initiative on alternative grocery models.

This enthusiasm also points toward the possibility of a closer collaboration with La Revue Durable.

Booster Goals

• • Create the treasure hunt prototype (12 cards + 4–6 audio capsules + game map).
  • Pilot the initiative in three cities (Sion, Lausanne, Fribourg).
  • Evaluate early feedback from users and partner locations.
  • Organize a final cooking battle featuring 3 invited chefs.
  • Strengthen partnerships (RTS, cities, local short supply chain actors, community associations, public administration, La Revue Durable).

Implementation Scenario – Pilot Phase

Each pilot city will host the treasure hunt for 4 to 6 weeks.

Launches will be paired with targeted communications (posters, local press, partner newsletters, social media).

Cards will be distributed across a dozen key local venues (alternative stores, libraries, markets, community centers).

Brief training will be offered to venue staff (e.g., store managers) to facilitate participant engagement.

Both qualitative and quantitative tracking will be used (observations, QR feedback, logs, final form) to assess impact and identify challenges and levers.

Participants who collect all the cards will be invited to apply for the final cooking battle.

Development Scenario After the Booster

Post-booster, the format will be refined for broader rollout across ten cities in French-speaking Switzerland, supported by a national media campaign (especially RTS, and potentialle La Revue Durable).

It will become a seasonal, recurring event with refreshed cards and gestures, and spin-off versions for schools, municipalities, and priority neighbourhoods.

A digital platform may also be developed, allowing self-printable cards, community links, access to in-depth learning formats, and replication of the model in other regions.

Booster Expectations

• • Strategic links with public authorities for implementation.
  • Support in structuring a replicable model (open source or licensed).
  • Help formalizing audio formats suitable for national broadcasting via RTS – La Première.

Expert Needs

• • Academic partner: Joëlle Mastelic (HES-SO Valais).
  • Graphic designer / illustrator.
  • Audio specialist (recording + editing).
  • Videographer / photographer for documentation and promotion.

Budget (max CHF 22,500 including expert vouchers)

Estimated total: CHF 22,500

• • Design and printing: CHF 6,000
  • Audio capsules: CHF 2,400
  • Treasure hunt development: CHF 1,500
  • Coordination, writing, press relations: CHF 2,300
  • Artistic direction, educational content: CHF 3,600
  • Scientific support (Joëlle Mastelic): CHF 3,000
  • Expert vouchers: CHF 2,500
  • Visual documentation (photo/video): CHF 1,200

Selected Bibliography

• • Baudrillard, J. (1983). Simulacra and Simulation. Semiotext(e).
  • Kollmuss, A., & Agyeman, J. (2002). Mind the Gap: Why do people act environmentally and what are the barriers to pro-environmental behavior?Environmental Education Research, 8(3), 239–260.
  • Leclair, J.-B. (2019). Le numérique au prisme de l’urbanité : Vers une réalité augmentée du quotidien. Revue URBIA, 21.
  • McKenzie-Mohr, D. (2011). Fostering Sustainable Behavior: An Introduction to Community-Based Social Marketing (3rd ed.). New Society Publishers.
  • Sunstein, C. R., & Thaler, R. H. (2008). Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness. Yale University Press.
  • Artisans de la Transition. (2024). Rapport sur les épiceries alternatives en Suisse romande. La Revue Durable.

Aux racines du quotidien [Everyday Roots] is a poetic and collective treasure hunt to encourage the general public to adopt sustainable cooking habits, in tune with the seasons. This project invites participants to explore and cultivate the roots of a simple, healthy, and sustainable cuisine in daily life. It is grounded in nature, creativity, pleasure, and the transmission of knowledge and practices. It draws on local products, techniques, and actors in short food supply chains and peasant agriculture. Moreover, it benefits from strong media anchoring through its creator, Sylvie Ramel, a regular chronicles contributor to Swiss public radio RTS – La Première. Beyond individual awareness, the project promotes alternative grocery models and supports collaboration with local producers to help bring simple, local, and meaningful food practices into the mainstream.