BE4LIFE

What BE4LIFE does

BE4LIFE is a non-profit research center embedded within Ghent University in Gent, Belgium, that conducts behavioral economics and consumer-behavior research on sustainable, healthy, and ethical consumption, with particular focus on food choice, protein transition, and nudging interventions. Its core activities center on developing theoretical frameworks such as a goal-directed model for environmentally sustainable food consumption and on running field experiments (e.g., choice architecture interventions in retail settings, Nutri-Score impact assessments, and large-scale randomized controlled trials among farmers and vulnerable families). The center publishes peer-reviewed work in journals including Frontiers in Psychology, ScienceDirect, MDPI, and Nature Scientific Reports, and disseminates findings through a podcast ('De Eiwitshifters'), LinkedIn and Facebook channels, and earned media in Flemish outlets such as De Standaard, De Tijd, and EOS Wetenschap. BE4LIFE does not sell commercial products or services; its business model relies on academic research grants, institutional funding from Ghent University, and project-based engagements with government and NGO partners. Key counterparties include the Flemish Government (Departement Omgeving) under the Green Deal Eiwitshift 2.0, Carrefour Belgium, WWF Belgium, Rikolto, and a broader consortium of 65+ partner organizations signed to the September 2025 protein-transition initiative, with research leadership publicly attributed to Professor Hendrik Slabbinck and Dr. Nicky Coucke.

Name

BE4LIFE

Legal name

BE4LIFE

Website

https://be4life.eu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BE4LIFE is a non-profit research center at Ghent University that runs behavioral economics studies and field experiments on sustainable, healthy, and ethical food consumption, serving the Flemish Government, retailers, and NGOs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Behavioral Research and Consumer Science Services

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGALAD

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Enterprises & Impact Organizations

SECONDARYEDAAAHAF

Weight Management & Behavior Change Education

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Health, Wellness & Lifestyle Education (Nutrition, Fitness, Mindfulness)

SECONDARYEDAAAEAH

Health, Wellness & Lifestyle Noncredit Programs

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Continuing Education (Noncredit) & Lifelong Learning Programs

Keywords

• Behavioral economics research
• Consumer behavior studies
• Sustainable food research
• Food choice nudging
• Protein transition research

Headquarters

HQ city

Gent

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BE4LIFE is an academic research center at Ghent University that conducts interdisciplinary behavioral economics research on sustainable, healthy, and ethical consumption. It produces peer-reviewed studies, develops theoretical frameworks for understanding consumer food choices, designs and tests nudging and choice architecture interventions in real retail environments, and delivers evidence-based recommendations to policymakers, retailers, and NGOs to support the protein transition and healthier/sustainable food systems.

Product overview

BE4LIFE is a research center at Ghent University focused on sustainable, healthy, and ethical consumption. It does not offer commercial products or services; rather, it conducts academic research projects, publishes scientific studies, and engages in public outreach through press coverage and media appearances. The center's work spans categories including sustainable consumption, healthy consumption, and ethical consumption, with research covering topics such as consumer behavior, food labeling, nudging interventions, protein transition, and food waste.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Large-scale randomized controlled trials among active farmers testing digital behavior change techniques (demonstration, dynamic social norms, loss framing)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Vlaamse Overheid (Flemish Government)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025BE4LIFE, led by Professor Hendrik Slabbinck and Dr. Nicky Coucke, serves as one of the major drivers ('grote trekker') of the Green Deal Eiwitshift 2.0 initiative. The partnership aims to shift diets toward more plant-based and local proteins, reducing environmental impact and improving health outcomes. Over 65 partners signed the deal in September 2025, committing to five years of collaboration.
• Carrefour BelgiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Research partnership with Carrefour supermarket chain investigating the role of supermarkets in the protein transition. BE4LIFE research demonstrated that supermarkets can play a significant role in influencing consumer protein choices toward plant-based options.
• WWF BelgiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021BE4LIFE conducted a systematic literature review on behavior change techniques to reduce meat intake on behalf of WWF Belgium, contributing to the Eat4Change initiative. The research identified effective methods and strategies for reducing animal-based protein consumption.
• RikoltocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Rikolto on sustainable food consumption research, including supermarket nudging techniques for reducing meat consumption. Joint workshops developed with Gezinsbond, FairTradeGemeente, and Ferm.
• Departement OmgevingflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlemish Department of Environment coordinating the Green Deal Eiwitshift 2.0 initiative, with BE4LIFE as a primary research partner supporting the protein transition policy agenda.
• Ghent UniversityflagshipOthersBE4LIFE is an official part of Ghent University, operating as its research center focused on sustainable, healthy, and ethical consumption. This institutional affiliation provides access to university resources, academic expertise, and research infrastructure.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wageningen University & Research (Wageningen Economic Research): Leading Dutch university research institute conducting consumer behavior, food choice, and sustainable food systems research. Directly comparable to BE4LIFE in applying behavioral and economic methods to sustainable food consumption, but at much greater scale and geographic reach.
• The Good Food Institute (GFI): Nonprofit working on alternative proteins (plant-based, cultivated, fermentation). Highly comparable to BE4LIFE's protein-shift research focus and retail nudging work, with a more global and product-commercialization lens.
• Behavioural Insights Team (BIT): Applied behavioral science organization that designs and tests 'nudge'-style interventions for governments and businesses, including in food and sustainability. Closely comparable to BE4LIFE's behavioral-economics methodology and RCT-driven approach, though operating across many policy domains.
• EAT Foundation: Global nonprofit focused on transforming food systems through science-based targets, with strong overlap to BE4LIFE's protein-transition and sustainable-consumption agenda. Comparable mission and policy-engagement model, but broader international scope.
• Rikolto (formerly Vredeseilanden): Belgian-headquartered NGO running sustainable food and protein-transition programs with supermarket and consumer-behavior interventions. Already a BE4LIFE partner, making it both a collaborator and the most direct regional peer in sustainable food retail work.

Broad incumbents

• World Resources Institute (WRI): Large global research organization with major programs on sustainable diets, food systems, and protein transition. Comparable mission and policy-research model, but operates at much greater scale across climate, energy, and food.

Emerging players

• Food Tank: Nonprofit research and media organization focused on sustainable food systems and consumer behavior change. Overlapping topical coverage and public-dissemination model, but more communications-led than academic-led.

Others

• WWF Belgium (Food & Climate): Existing BE4LIFE partner and commissioner of behavior-change research on meat reduction under the Eat4Change initiative. Comparable in commissioning and applying behavioral research on protein transition, but as a funder/ecosystem participant rather than a research center.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BE4LIFEugent
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/be4lifeugent

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BE4LIFE